Unexpected
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: Misa has something to tell Light.
1. Unexpected

The sound of a phone ringing cut through the chatter of the Japanese Task Force. Light Yagami pulled his phone into his hand and answered it swiftly. "Hello?"

"Light, it's me." Misa Amane's voice sounded over the other end of the line, high pitched but not as shrill as usual.

Light sighed in mild frustration at his fiancée. "Misa, we've been over this. If you have to talk to me at work you need to send me an e-mail."

"I need you to come home for dinner tonight. We need to talk about something important."

His face showed no emotion besides his exasperation. "Can it wait?"

"No." Her voice was sharp, not like her usual sound at all. "Dinner. Tonight."

He knew better than to argue when she was this serious. The only thing that could make her this serious was if something had gone wrong in their operation.

"Okay. I'll be home as soon as I can, alright?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Light hung up the phone and set it aside. Without so much as a pause, he went straight back to his work, thinking of what might have gone wrong in their plan. The worry never showed on his face, but it did exist in a very small margin of his brain. What on earth was he going to do?

When it got to a reasonable time for him to stop, he politely told his fellow task force members he was going home. They'd all begun preparing to do the same, anyways. There were a few murmured goodbyes. Light didn't pay much mind to it other than saying it perfunctorily to everyone in the room before heading out the door as calmly as he could manage. When he was certain he wasn't being followed, he broke into a sprint. He only slowed down when he reached the hall of their apartment, and caught his breath. He felt cramping in his thighs despite the athletics he used to do, but it was what he got for running as long as he did. Now that the adrenaline rush was beginning to subside, he needed to go sit down.

Opening the door, he was surprised to see Dinner set out on their table, and Misa seated in her chair, looking uncharacteristically cowed. Something was terribly wrong. He shut the door behind him, left his bag by the door, and went straight to his chair, fearful of just how bad whatever had happened had been.

"What happened." The words were a command for her to tell him, not even a question.

"It has nothing to do with the Kira case." She said, wanting to quell his fear. She knew that was the first thing he'd think.

Light let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Then why did you call me? You should have emailed me."

"This isn't exactly something you talk about in an email, Light. It's something that needs to be done face to face."

Something about the way she said that raised a red flag in his mind. He leaned forward a little in his chair. "What is it, Misa?"

She looked at him, eyes full of fear and a vulnerability he couldn't understand. He waited for her to say something, but she seemed so afraid to speak that she didn't, and he tried prompting her. She tended to respond well to touch. He reached out, touched her hand. "Did someone hurt you?"

"No. Nothing like that." She said, shaking her head.

"I don't understand why you're not talking to me, Misa. It's not like you."

"Because I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?"

"Of what you'll say, or think about what I have to tell you."

"You've never been afraid of that before."

"I've never been in a situation like this before." She said, taking in a breath and turning to look into his eyes. It took all of her courage to say those next words from her mouth. "Light… I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened in shock and he sucked in a breath as though the words had punched him in the gut. That hadn't been anywhere in the realm of what he had anticipated she could have to say to him. An errant thought flitted through his mind that yes, she _was _right that that shouldn't have been in an email. This was definitely a conversation needed to be had in person.

Misa, unaware of his thoughts, hurried on with an explanation. The words came out like verbal vomit. "The condom from last month that broke? That was when it happened. I never expected this to happen and I didn't mean for it to. I know you have to work hard to make our world perfect, and I don't want to burden you any more than I have to. I understand if you're angry with me. I'm sorry."

But he wasn't angry. At least, not yet. The shock of the bombshell of a statement had yet to be broken. Misa was pregnant with his child.

Misa was pregnant with _his child._

Something in him switched in that moment. Suddenly, he thought about his ideas of justice, what a perfect world had meant to him. A world free of criminals, a safer place to live. But he'd never factored a child of _his _into that equation. He'd always assumed that after taking on the role of God, he would marry Misa for how well she obeyed him, and it would be just the two of them. He'd never imagined the possibility of the three of them being a family.

But…

If they were a family, if they had a baby, he could instruct that child in the way of Kira. He would have an _heir_. Someone to take over as the omniscient God of the new world when his time had come. Kira could rule forever because of that child. Light could groom that child to be his successor.

He thought this through so quickly that not even a minute passed before he spoke.

"We're having a baby?" He asked her, smiling a little.

She was a little surprised at the sight of his smile, but nodded.

He got up from the table, pulled her into his arms and gave her the biggest, most passionate kiss of his life. "I have never loved you more than I do right now. Because of this, Kira will never die."

"You're not angry?" She asked, more than a bit stunned.

"How could I be angry? We're having a baby, bringing new life into the world, and we're going to make sure that that world is perfect so that our child grows up knowing no fear or violence. Our child will inherit a never-ending dynasty of Godship. Misa, because of this we can't fail. We have a more important reason guiding us now." He said, imagining the concept genuinely for the first time and grinning like mad.

Misa looked as though she were about to cry with joy. "Really?"

"Really." He promised.

Misa fell into his arms, sobbing out her relief. "I'm so happy to hear you say that! I was so scared that you'd be angry with me and I would cause something to go wrong in your plan and then it would be my fault that justice didn't win."

"No, Misa." He said, rubbing her back. "Because of you, because of _us_, justice _will _win."

She fell limp in his embrace, and he hugged her until she straightened herself. Then, crouching down, he wrapped two hands around her waist and kissed her flat stomach.

The legacy of Kira had begun.


	2. Night

That night was one of the best nights in Misa's life. Light was excitable, animated, clearly overjoyed. They talked for hours about things they had to do to prepare for the baby. Light decided to make a list. They needed to move Misa into his bedroom to make a nursery for the baby, they had to get Misa on prenatal vitamins, schedule check ups with their physician, find a good ultrasound technician, figure out the hospital where she would deliver, and go furniture shopping for the baby. They didn't have to wait for a blood test to confirm it- Misa had gone to the doctor's today to be absolutely certain that was what it was.

There was a bit of a debate on whether they could handle planning a wedding on top of that. Not that they didn't want to marry before their child was born- certainly Misa had no objections to that- but they were afraid of not being able to handle that stress on top of everything else. Eventually, they decided that they would get married at the courthouse with just his family and Misa's friend Nori, and have a more traditional wedding after the baby was born.

Light found himself unable to sleep that night with the excitement and determination swimming inside of him. Not only would this be an exciting time in his life, but it could also deflect some attention from his suspicion among the task force as a Kira suspect. Misa's appointments, doctors visits, and all of that would give him time to plot out his next move as Kira. With all the craziness that was certain to come around at this point, he was certain it would be more of a challenge to maintain his death note practices, but it wasn't anything he wasn't prepared to take on. He enjoyed a challenge.

Instead, he found himself staring at Misa as she slept soundly beside him. Despite having been indifferent to her in all the time they'd been together, somehow she had transformed into the most beautiful woman on earth in the past few hours. She had gone from a dispensable pawn in his quest for dominance to something so absolutely vital he did not know if he could live without her. Suddenly she was absolutely everything to him, the lynchpin in his plans for a happy future. She was more than just the ditzy woman who had made the mistake of falling in love with him. Now she was the mother of his child, and he knew he would do whatever it took to protect her at all costs.

Using his killings as Kira along with her pregnancy provided a convenient excuse to have her be with him at task force headquarters. He didn't feel good about leaving her home alone with everything that was happening, he'd say. The need to protect her was suddenly an instinct, sharpened to it's finest point. Something primal. There was nobody better suited to carry his child or be his wife than his most devoted and loyal follower. They had discussed her coming with him to work from now on. They'd also talked about how she would have to stop acting and modeling now. He didn't want another stalker coming after her, or the baby, and neither did she.

All the pieces seemed to be falling into place.

He carefully reached a hand to her stomach, gently placing his over it. It was incredible to think that a tiny human being, a combination of Misa and himself, was growing inside of her. He remembered her once telling him, during one of her many long-winded rants about their future together that their babies would be as smart and beautiful as he was, and as cute as she was, but he hoped it wasn't quite the case. He hoped the baby would inherit his genius, but he hoped it would be as beautiful as she was. Their baby would have beauty, brains, and a massive legacy to uphold, but he was confident his child would be able to handle it. His child would have everything if he had a say in it.

And, of course, he would, considering he would be a father.

He wondered what the baby would be like, who they would take more after. He hoped that they had Misa's eyes. For all the things he had disliked about her, he had always found something mesmerizing about her eyes. They held such emotion, and such power- both for obvious and nondescript reasons. He loved the color of her eyes, that caught the light and reflected every color under the rainbow. They would be perfect for commanding a room as he hoped they someday would when the world bowed to Kira's judgement.

His eyes flashed to Misa, and he heard her deep breathing. He didn't want to wake her, but he wanted to talk to his child. He maneuvered himself so that he could whisper to her stomach. Even though his hand was already there, he leaned his lips toward it. Even though he knew the baby couldn't hear him yet, he wanted to talk to them. The first words he would ever say to his child should mean something.

"Hi baby. I'm your Dad. I can't wait to meet you. I promise you, the world will be better for you, because I will make it better. I'm going to give you the world someday, and between your Mom and I, we'll teach you everything you need to know to be the greatest Kira the world has ever seen. Someday, you will inherit the world, and I will do everything I can to teach you how to run it so that I can give it to you. I love you."

When it was done, he smiled. No matter what else happened in his life, he would always think of this day as the best of his life. Even if his mission didn't succeed totally, today was the day he claimed a victory greater than he could name.

Today, he won.


	3. Family

When morning came, Light was already up and dressed before Misa was. Considering his sleepless night, it was hardly surprising. Still, he kissed Misa awake and went to make breakfast while she got ready for the day. By the time she came out, the table was set.

Light took a bite of fish, smiling at her. "Are you ready?"

"We said we would tell them today, so that's what we'll do." She said, sitting down with a smile.

"Are you excited?"

"And nervous at the same time. I don't know how it will go over, you know?"

"Hey, all that matters is that we're excited. Nobody is going to raise this baby but us. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. It's not their baby." He said, hoping to reassure her.

His words seemed to do the trick, and she brightened. "I'm so happy that you think so. It makes me feel so good."

"I want you to feel good, Misa. You're bringing our child into the world, and you should feel good about that. It's a special thing."

"You'll still think I'm beautiful even when I get fat?" She asked.

"You'll be gorgeous." He promised.

She was glowing now, with that glow pregnant women were said to get. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. He was glad she was happy, because he wanted her to be just as excited about this as he was.

"Did you call your mom and sister to have them meet us at headquarters?"

"They'll be there. Dad is bringing them." He promised.

She let out a soft squeal of excitement. "I can't wait to see their faces!"

"Me too." He grinned.

They both ate breakfast in a hurry, wanting to get there as soon as possible. All along the way he kept close contact with her, having an arm wrapped around her waist or holding her hand. He always had to be touching her suddenly, protecting her in some way. It was strange how utterly necessary that had become to him now, and he wondered if the feeling would ever abate.

When the two of them walked through the door, they looked so in love that everybody wondered what was going on. They were used to that kind of behavior from Misa, but Light? That was different.

"Light, what are we doing here?" Asked Sayu. "You asked Mom and I to come here for a reason. So why?"

"And why is Misa here?" Asked Chief Yagami.

Light snaked an arm around Misa's waist. "We have an announcement for you all and we couldn't wait to share it. Misa, do you want to tell them?"

"You should, they're you're family!" She said, smiling at him.

He looked up at them, grinning madly. "We're pregnant!"

Sayu and Sachiko let out twin squeals of joy. Soichiro looked surprised, but then beamed at the happy couple. And every task force agent looked dumbfounded. Light was grinning ear to ear and Misa was jumping up and down with joy.

"This is the best day ever! I'm going to be an aunt!" Sayu squealed, hugging her brother and future sister-in-law.

"This is wonderful, Light!" Sachiko said, softly but joyfully.

Chief Yagami went up to his son, eyes glimmering with pride and possible tears. "Congratulations, Light." His voice was soft.

The moment between father and son was old as time itself. One a seasoned father, the other about to emerge into fatherhood himself. They had come full circle in the circle of life. They looked at one another, Light full of the enthusiasm and zeal Chief Yagami himself had experienced when he'd found out his wife was expecting Light. Light looked into his father's eyes, and knew, suddenly and unquestionably, that there would be a whole new world of love opened up to him when his son or daughter came along. He had never looked up to someone so much as he did to his father in that moment.

The two of them shared a hug, full of all the things, spoken and unspoken, that could be said between two fathers. When it broke apart, Chief Yagami set both hands on his son's shoulders.

"You'll be a good father." He said.

"Thanks, Dad." Light said, thickly.

"He'll be a _great_ father." Misa amended, putting one hand on Light's chest and smiling up at him. He smiled down at her and gave her a kiss.

When they broke apart, he turned to look at the other members of the task force, who were still gobsmacked at the announcement. "I'll be bringing Misa with me here from now on. I didn't feel comfortable leaving her at home alone, given the circumstances. With Kira out there, I just want to keep her safe. Especially given her condition." He explained.

It seemed to take time for that to Sink in, but when it did it made complete sense to all of them. They were used to Misa being around, anyways. It wouldn't be much of a change for them.

They were all nodding in agreement, and a few gave their congratulations, before Light turned to see his mother, who was crying.

"Mom?"

"I'm so proud of the man you've become." Sachiko said softly, pulling her son into a hug.

He hugged her right back, recalling the moments when he'd done so as a little boy to make her feel better if she'd been worried about his father. When he let go, she wiped her eyes and turned to Misa.

"I'm so happy to have another daughter join my family." She said sincerely.

Misa's lip quavered, and tears streaked down her face. She had never thought she could get another mother after her own died. She wrapped her arms around her future mother-in-law, sobbing slightly.

"I didn't think I would ever get the chance to have another mom again after I lost mine. Thank you so much for welcoming me into your family." She sniffled.

"It's our pleasure." Sachiko said softly.

Misa let go, wiping her eyes, and Light hugged her tightly to him. This was the beginning of a journey of a lifetime.


	4. Conversation

The rest of the day was considerably boring after the excitement had died down. Sayu and Sachiko didn't stay for long, choosing to go home, though they were infinitely happy for the couple. Light had settled into his work comfortably, and the only real difference was that every so often he would glance over at Misa, who was sprawled out on a chair, often on her phone as she tried to schedule doctor's appointments or was on her laptop looking up information about her pregnancy.

Misa, for her part, knew better than to disturb Light at work. She only talked to him to let him know when the doctor's appointments were so that he could prepare accordingly with his work schedule. He'd nodded to those, and in turn reminded her when it came time to take the vitamins she'd gotten after going to the doctor the previous day, since he kept better tabs on time than she.

They went to lunch together, talking all the while. Light asked Misa dozens of questions, completely interested. He wanted to know how she was feeling, what foods she was craving, what he could do to make her feel happier. It was the most interest he had ever expressed in her, and the reason why was hardly surprising. She happily answered every question. His joy was infectious to her, and hers to him. They were continuously feeding off of the emotions of one another in a cycle that didn't seem to end.

When Light returned to work, Misa plunked herself in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head on his shoulder to sleep as Light continued working, and simultaneously planning out the Kira case. He didn't have to worry about disturbing her- she always slept like a rock when she slept on him. When she stirred, maybe two hours later, he automatically adjusted himself so that she would remain comfortable.

She woke up anyways, yawning. He gave her a kiss without even taking his eyes from the screen.

"You slept a long time." He said.

"How long?"

"Two hours. Close to two and a half."

"That's weird. I don't usually nap."

"You're pregnant, Misa. Your body needs more energy."

"True." She said. "What'd I miss?"

"Not much, really. I'm not much further along than I was when you took your nap. The only thing I've come up with at this point is that if Kira dropped off the face of the earth, or just stopped killing, we'd have no way to track them. There's no discernible pattern to where the killings are going to occur next, no geographic logic to it. Japan, the United States, England, Russia, Italy, China… There's no rhyme or reason to it, no break in a pattern of something so random to begin with that we could catch them. I keep thinking if there was a pattern, we could trace it, but there just _isn't _and it's frustrating."

"Maybe you're wrong." Misa said. "Maybe there is a pattern."

He looked at her, stopping in his typing. "How do you mean?"

"Well, there's more places to look for patterns than just geography. Look at the rank of criminals killed in countries, or patterns in age, or even look for differences in causes of death and see if that makes a pattern." She said.

Light brightened at that, internally laughing at the fact that they were actually having that fake discussion, and gave her another kiss. "Thank you."

She gave him a kiss. "You're welcome."

He continued on with his work, occasionally asking her opinions on things if he couldn't make a firm decision. She was glad to assist, feeling more of a part of the task force. He knew she tended to play dumb, but she was wise in her own way when it came to helping others with making decisions.

When it came to be six o'clock, the two of them decided to head home. He gave her his jacket as they walked, realizing she was cold as the sun had already dipped below the horizon, and had one arm around her waist. When they got to their apartment, Misa flopped down onto the couch.

"I'm so tired. Is it time for bed yet?" She asked.

"We still need to eat dinner." He chuckled.

"Was that a laugh?" She asked, pouting.

He saw the look on her face and debated on saying yes. "…No."

She nodded, satisfied. "Right."

He wanted to be careful of her mood swings. He didn't want to upset her. "What are you hungry for?"

"_Everything_. I feel like I haven't eaten in months. I'll eat anything."

"Help me narrow it down. Fish, rice, miso soup, mochi…?"

"Yes."

"To…?"

"All of them."

He smiled, biting back a laugh. "Alright."

He went to the kitchen and began cooking, and heard Misa flipping on the TV in the living room. He was done quicker than expected, but when he went to get her found that she'd fallen asleep. He didn't have to suppress his laugh that time. Still, he went over to her, gently shook her shoulder. "Misa?"

"Mmmm?" She asked, eyes fluttering open.

"Dinner's ready."

She needed no prompting to get off the couch after that. He sat at the table, taking what he liked of the food before leaving the rest, and finding himself shocked when she ate everything, even though he'd made enough for three people. He was careful, though, to not laugh.

When she was done, she looked so exhausted that he thought he might have to keep her from falling asleep at the table. So, he did the sensible thing and carried her to their bedroom. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. He removed her shoes, tucked her in, before he went to clean the dishes from dinner. That done, he settled in at his desk to write his amount of names in the Death Note for the day.

It was at that point that Ryuk, who had been steadily observing everything that had happened in the last day but not saying anything, finally spoke up.

"Well, you're certainly different." He said, perching himself atop Light's desk and taking a bite of an apple.

"Everything is different now, Ryuk. All of this time I've been trying to make a new world without criminals, but I'd never pictured a child of mine in it. It really got me thinking about what's important."

"Which is?"

"The reason why I wanted to make this new world in the first place. I wanted to make a world where everyone was kind, honest, hardworking, and trustworthy. And now that Misa's pregnant I realize that's the kind of world I want my child to live in. I started this new world for myself, but I'm making it happen now for my family. And someday, when my daughter or son grows up and is old enough, I'll pass on the Death Note to them. I'm not just creating a new world, I'm creating a legacy for my child to inherit. I'll instruct them in the way of Kira, and someday they will become God when my time comes and you write my name in your Death Note." He explained.

"And Misa?"

"She's carrying my child, Ryuk. It changed how I view her. I don't know how to explain it. She just seems so beautiful to me now. I think I might be falling in love with her, but I don't know if it will still be that way after the baby is born. But no matter what, I have to protect her and the baby at all costs. Whatever she wants me to do, I'll do.

Ryuk, in response, bit his apple again and swallowed a bite.

"Humans are so interesting."


	5. Worry

The next day proved to be rather interesting.

Ryuk followed Light and Misa to Task Force Headquarters, finding the circumstances as entertaining as any he'd seen. Misa Jabbered and chatted to Light with gusto about the vivid dreams she'd been having.

"We were in my old room, but it was the baby's nursery. There was this cute little rocking chair in the corner and I was sitting in it, and you came over and kissed me, and told me to get some sleep. You took the baby, and I got up. And when I looked back, the baby had her hand around your finger and you were smiling so happily!" She gushed.

He smiled as they walked. "Sounds like a dream that definitely has a chance to come true. But you think it will be a girl?"

"I just have a feeling." She said. Then, taking in his words again, she frowned. "Do you have a preference."

They hadn't discussed that yet. But he looked at her to quell this fear head on. "Healthy will do." He promised.

She smiled. "Yay!"

He chuckled as they moved into the building. "I'm guessing that you're hoping for a girl?"

"Actually I don't know. My dreams change. Sometimes it's a girl, sometimes it's a boy… It just depends."

"Alright." He said.

They went inside, and he sat down in his usual chair, Misa in his lap. She had brought a bag of food with her, eating pretty much constantly. Light struggled with the idea of the mess it might create, but he quelled his anxiety by telling himself he'd do a thorough cleaning of it later. Misa ate most of the food within the first half hour, and then just sat quietly for a while, watching him work. She grew more relaxed in his lap, to the point where she was practically melted butter in his lap. She'd stayed still for so long he suspected her asleep.

Suddenly, Misa bolted up from his lap, nearly knocking his chair over. She scrambled to her feet, running out the door. Light was disoriented for half a second before he regained his senses.

"Misa?!" He called after her, concerned. He saw her running to the bathroom with a hand over her mouth, and it clicked in him what was going on. He continued pursuing her, and went into the bathroom, making it inside just as she bent over the toilet to get sick, and racing over to hold back her hair.

Misa let out a low moan as she leaned on Light for support, weakened after her bout of nausea. She flushed the toilet and tried to bring her breathing back to normal.

"Are you okay?"

"I knew I shouldn't have eaten that Arare. It smelled bad but I ate a few bites of it anyways." She groaned.

Light rubbed her back. "Are you feeling better now, at least?"

"A little." She sighed.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Come on, let's get you to the couch so you can lay down." He said, beginning to get up. He helped her up from the floor and wrapped her arm around his shoulders for support. Then, he carefully helped her back to the room, helping her to lay down on the couch and presenting her with a bottle of water to drink. She took small sips, careful to not go too fast so she would be certain she could keep it down. When he was certain she wasn't going to be sick again, he returned to his desk, but couldn't help glancing nervously at her every few minutes, thinking she might get sick again. However, it mercifully never occurred. He felt himself relaxing again as his worry began to abate.

He had no way of knowing he would soon have something new to worry about very soon.

The sound of the clacking of a keyboard filled a darkened room, it only by the glow of a computer screen. In a small apartment that smelled like bleach and was kept frighteningly clean, a man sat at his desk, rolling a mint around his mouth with his tongue. Once, twice, three times. He had eaten garlic with his dinner a few nights ago and could still feel the uncleanliness of his own breath. It wouldn't do. He liked things to be clean, needed them to be clean and have order.

Cleanliness played a large role in his life. As a member of a crime scene clean up crew, he dedicated his life to cleaning up the messes made by the worst of society. It only made sense that a man so closely entwined with both justice and cleanliness would be a Kira supporter. Whenever he wasn't working, he was on his laptop, actively maintaining several websites in support of Kira. Kira's sense of justice resembled his own so closely that at times it felt as though they were one in the same. He had followed the investigation from it's beginning, watching and recording every newscast that aired and annotating every detail in a small notepad.

He had known Kira was being investigated, had known there were people in Japan trying to stop Kira. He couldn't let them win. He had to help Kira in any way he could. Though not on the same level as the world's greatest detectives, he considered himself a fairly good one. Had he not been obsessed with cleanliness, he might have gone into police work. Between newscasts, his work, and technology, he had managed to do what no other person on earth could have done.

He had found the place where those who were working to stop Kira were gathering. Months of leads, effort, annotating, and searching had lead him to this moment. He had found them, and he was going to make them stop hunting Kira. Then, perhaps Kira would honor him and ask him to join in his righteous crusade. Kira was coming to cleanse the world, and he was going to stop anybody who tried to get in his way.


	6. Taken

Misa's morning sickness seemed to worsen at a pace so rapid he couldn't comprehend it. Certain smells, certain foods, even mentions of certain foods could trigger her nausea. And yet she still kept eating as though she would never eat again. It was such a dichotomy he couldn't even comprehend it. And yet he did not try to stop her either. She still needed the nutrition. He went to the pharmacy later that same day to pick up some B12. His research had showed it was supposed to be helpful for nausea, but even that hadn't slowed it down. It was beginning to become annoying, but at the same time he knew that if it was mildly irritating to him, it had to be hell for her.

So, every time she ran to the bathroom, he would hold her hair. He brought her water, ginger tea, and crackers to try and soothe her stomach. From the minute they got home he had her lay down in bed, and they would eat together in what used to be his bedroom, but was now theirs. Ryuk always got a chuckle out of watching them together. It was entertaining to him to see how quickly the tables had turned in that relationship. It had gone from Misa being at Light's beck and call to the opposite within mere days. He was almost certain now that he was watching Light fall in love with her. It was entertaining just to see what would happen next.

It was about a week after Misa's unexpected pregnancy announcement. At task force headquarters, Light was typing away on his keyboard. Misa lay on the couch, eating her way through a box of pocky. Somehow she'd managed to keep it down long enough for him to get some actual work done, so that was a relief. As he pretended to investigate a new lead in the Kira case, his cell phone rang, breaking his concentration. With a hefty sigh, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Light?" Sachiko Yagami's voice sounded over the phone.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi dear. Sorry to call while you're working but your Dad wasn't picking up the phone. Can you ask him if he knows where the box of spare gardening tools is that he put in the garage last winter? The neighbors need a trowel and I can't find mine." She said.

As she was speaking, he heard Misa get up from the couch and bolt for the bathroom. He nearly groaned. Great. Still, he couldn't go hold her hair back while on the phone anyways.

He turned to his father. "Dad, Mom wants to know where you put the gardening tools in the garage last winter. The neighbors need to borrow something."

"Tell her they're on the second shelf in a box marked "Outdoor items"." Chief Yagami answered.

"Second shelf, Mom." He told his mother. "He says the box should say "Outdoor items"."

"I just checked the second shelf ten minutes ago and there wasn't any box that said that."

Light had to fight back a sigh, looking at his father again. "She says she just looked there and didn't see any box."

"Oh. Then tell her to look in the far corner on the left side. It might be buried under the Christmas decorations."

"Dad says check the far corner on the left side, under the Christmas decorations."

"Alright. Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. Bye."

"Bye."

With that, he flipped his phone shut and went to check on Misa.

As Misa ran for the bathroom, she had no idea she was being watched. A figure draped in a black coat, pants with a black scarf, sunglasses, and cap was hovering in one of the many doorways. He'd staked out the place for days, seeing who had come and gone from it. He had been surprised to see Misa Amane, the actress and model, entering it. At first, he'd thought it a mistake, that perhaps she was walking someone else there unawares. But no. She stayed until late. She was clearly a part of this. At first he'd been angry, but then, he realized that this was perfect.

Her notoriety would make her a public figure. If he took her, it would be on the news. And if he were to send his demands to the news for the task force to quit investigating Kira, they would have to comply. It was all coming together. So, when she stumbled blearily out of the bathroom, it was nothing at all to clamp a hand over her mouth and take her out of the building. The only trace left of her was her cell phone, left in the hallway. There was no scream, nor was there an iota of evidence connecting him to the building. It was the perfect crime.

Light went to the bathroom, opening up the door. "Misa, are you alright?" He called. Silence was the only response he got. He began to worry that she may have passed out from overexertion. He looked under every stall, but she wasn't there. Alarm bells began to sound in his head, and he quickly walked back out to the hall. "Misa?" He called, more anxious now. Then, a glint of sun hitting something caught his eye, and he picked it up. His heart stuttered in his chest.

It was Misa's cell phone.

He stared at it for the longest time, a shock hollowing him out, before he made his way back to the room.

The task force investigators had been having a discussion when Light re-entered the room. It was Chief Yagami who took first notice of his son, but upon second glance became extremely concerned. His son was ghastly pale, eyes wide and full of fear.

"Light? What's wrong?" He asked, standing up. He went over to his son, putting his hands on his son's shoulders.

"It's Misa." Light said, looking down at her cell phone in his hands. "She's gone."


	7. Speak

He sat on the couch, eyes glassy and glazed over. He turned her phone over in his fingers, the last piece of her left, like a talisman that would somehow keep her safe. A blanket was around his shoulders, put there by his father. He had barely been able to force the details of what he had seen out before the shock had set in, freezing him down to the bone. He'd been sitting still for ten minutes straight, never moving. The shock had encased him in clay, making it so that he couldn't move without breaking apart. There were voices behind him, talking. They were discussing what had happened to her, what the next steps were, he knew. As much as he wanted to help spout theories and ideas, he found himself unable to focus on anything but his own thoughts.

Her face filled his mind. Her slate gray eyes, her blindingly white smile. He heard her laughter ringing in his ears. He'd always liked her laugh. It had always made him feel powerful, because when she laughed, he'd always been winning that ongoing game of Cat-and-Mouse with Ryuzaki. Had he ever told her that? If not, why not? What had he had to lose from telling her she made him feel strong? She would have liked that, he knew. She would have said something about always being there to keep him strong. And he would have been able to depend on it.

_Why didn't I tell her how much she mattered? I had so many chances to do it, and I didn't._

He thought about the day she told him they were pregnant. She'd opened him up to a whole new world of possibilities. Suddenly, it wasn't just him and her. There was a baby involved too. He'd sworn to himself that he would keep her safe so that their baby would be safe. He'd failed them both. Would he ever forgive himself if he couldn't rectify that mistake? He didn't think so.

"Light." His father's voice called to him through the haze of thoughts.

He broke out of his clay layer and turned his head, blinking dispassionately at him. His father was sitting next to him on the couch. When had that happened?

"We were thinking a press conference would be good. Somebody may have saw something they didn't think was important, but could have been very important. Sometimes it can even make the kidnapper make contact with the family. We have Misa's cell phone. They could call it. You know her better than anyone, Light. We need you to be her voice. Make them see that she's still a person, and consider giving her back." He explained gently. "Can you do it for Misa?"

_Do it for Misa._

The words penetrated the fog in his brain, cleared it up, and he nodded.

"Okay." Chief Yagami said gently, putting a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezing it.

An hour later, the flashing of lightbulbs and hum of anticipation filled a small Room in the NPA. A man came out, dressed in a suit and tie, and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Approximately One hour and thirty minutes ago at approximately 10:13 AM, Misa Amane was taken near Nakano-Dori Avenue and Keio Keio lane. The NPA are considering this a missing person's case, and will be using as many resources as possible to find her. At this time, we are inviting her Fiancé, Light Yagami, to come up and speak on behalf of her." He said.

Light stepped up to the microphones, wearing a crisp suit that he'd gone home to change into. He held a piece of paper in his hands, shaking ever so slightly. He set it down, his father standing behind him for moral support.

He looked out into the crowd. He'd never minded public speaking before, but this somehow felt different. More exposing. More intimate. A sea of lightbulbs glimmered out in front of him, and microphones were held out to him. He took in a deep breath to try and steady himself, before he began to speak.

"My name is Light Yagami. An hour and a half ago, my fiancée Misa Amane was taken. Misa is a beautiful, joyful person. Talk to her and you'll see. She's the most resilient person I know. Three years ago, Misa lost her parents in a robbery. She's always wanted a family because of that. And last week, she told me she was pregnant." He said, his voice breaking on the last word. "When we were talking this morning, she told me that she wanted to take our child to see Disneyland someday. She told me the story of how her parents always saved up enough money to go every year at least once. And I told her we would, on her birthday." He gasped between the words. Emotions were flying by him at a hundred miles per hour, and he had to take a breath to steady himself. "Please, whoever has her, if you're listening, it's not too late for you to do the right thing and let her come home to me. She deserves to see our wedding and our child deserves a future. And Misa, if for some reason you can hear me right now, I promise you I will never stop looking for you. I won't rest until you and our baby are safe at home. Thank you." He finished. He was shaking all over as he picked up the piece of paper on the podium, and turned away from the sea of faces in the crowd, glimpsing a few of them with tears coming down their faces at his speech.

He turned around, and his father put an arm around him to walk him swiftly away from the cameras and reporters shouting their questions as he began to sob, the tears streaming down his face. Chief Yagami escorted his son away from the cameras, and when they were completely away, held his son as he cried.


	8. Call

For the first time in his life, Light Yagami was thinking of giving up the Death Note permanently.

It wasn't that he gave up his dream of a new world and becoming a God of it, nor was it that he just wanted to live a normal life now. It wasn't even what had happened to Misa to make him want to rid himself of it. No. He was thinking about it because of where it would get him in the afterlife. Purgatory. A sea of nothingness. And right now, as he was experiencing that nothingness, that infinite stasis of waiting, he thought he might be going insane. Of course, one had to wonder if it had actually been insane to try the Death Note in the first place and this was perhaps a moment of clarity, but in any event, he was seriously considering it.

The moment of clarity was short-lived. Of course he couldn't give up the Death Note now. He needed it, because when he got his hands on whoever took his fiancée, he would write the most gruesome accidental death he could think of and be assured that the lowliest piece of scum that lived on the earth had been eradicated.

Despite the revelation, he was still losing his mind. He paced the room at task force headquarters, unable to stop moving where he had once been unable to start. Until the police or the task force got any news, he wasn't able to do anything, and he didn't like that one bit. He was a man of action, a man of planning, a man of thought. He didn't like situations he couldn't plan for or do anything about. He didn't know how to handle it, and so was reduced to pacing.

After his (rather embarrassing, in his eyes) break down after the press conference, his father had begged him to try and go home, to rest, but he hadn't been able to. He knew if he went back to the apartment, all he'd see was her. He wanted to stay at headquarters, where he could do something if new developments came up, and the logic was watertight. If something came up, he would have the tools to investigate any leads right away. And so, for the past hour after the press conference, he'd paced. Every so often he'd try to sit down, but he just couldn't handle the stillness. It felt wrong. The task force members, his father included, all looked at him with pity, and if he got still he would notice it, and he didn't think he could handle it.

His mind veered from one theory to the next as smoothly as a car veering into another lane. But at this point it was all speculation. There was nothing solid that he could hold onto at this point. His mother and sister had come, both concerned for him. They'd both tried to talk with him or distract him, but his focus was laser like. He couldn't take his mind off of the problem at hand.

The sound of his cell phone ringing cut through his thoughts and he whipped it out of his pocket, answered it, and put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Is this Light Yagami?" A raspy tenor voice asked.

Ice went through his veins at the voice, and he swallowed. "Who is this?"

"You already know who I am."

"Are you the one who took my fiancée?"

"Yes."

The room was deathly quiet. "How do I know you have her? How do I know you didn't see me in the press conference and look up my information to toy with me? I want to talk to her." He said. His father had gone over what this call should be like if it happened. Demanding proof of life was important, as was keeping him talking.

There was a rustling on the other end of the phone. Then: "Light?"

He knew that voice as well as his own name. "_Misa_. Are you okay?"

"Light, I'm scared." Her voice was tremulous, choked with tears.

"It's going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of this. Do you know where you are?"

"I'm-" Her voice was cut off, and the rustling happened again.

"Time's up. There's your proof." The kidnapper said.

"What do you want with her?" Light demanded.

"It's not what I want with her. It's what I want with the task force. I want you all to stop hunting Kira."

"What?!"

"If you stop hunting Kira, your fiancée will be returned to you, unharmed. I've already sent my demands to the newscasters at Sakura TV, and the story will be breaking soon. If you do not meet my demands, I can't guarantee her safety."

Light's voice was a low growl. "You son of a bitch. If you lay one hand on her I swear I'll kill you."

"The choice is yours, Light. Either stop hunting Kira, and get your fiancée back safely and have a happy ending, or you can keep on with what you're doing and never see her again until she's in a body bag. Choose wisely."

The dial tone blared at him. The kidnapper had hung up.

He stared at his phone in shock for a minute before he whipped around to look at his father, who was manning the computer, trying to get a trace on where the call was coming from.

Chief Yagami sighed. "The signal was encrypted and he didn't stay on long enough for a trace."

It took a second for that to sink in. Then, the rage hit him, and he put his fist through a wall, breathing heavily as he tried to calm down. It didn't hurt, not now at least, with all the adrenaline pumping through his system, but he knew it would later. He put his face in one of his hands, and tried to calm himself, but deep inside, he knew the truth. He was losing his mind.


	9. Plan

Sachiko Yagami wrapped bandages around her son's hand as he sat down on the couch, thinking, strategizing, plotting. He had to figure out his next move, both as a member of the task force and as Kira. The dull thrum of pain from his hand wasn't bothering him any. His knuckles were only bruised, and he'd get over it.

Right after he'd put his fist through the wall, he'd asked Ryuk if he could find her. The Shinigami had declined to do so. He knew where she was, but he wasn't going to interfere. The attitude of the observer, always. So, Light had to find a different way to get her back.

He already knew the Task force wasn't going to give up quitting on Kira. There was just no way that was plausible. If it were, that would be great for him, but it just wasn't in the cards, and he knew that. He'd begged his father, a desperate plea, and though he knew it was unlikely he'd wanted to give it a try both for Misa's sake and his own agenda. But his father hadn't yielded, nor had any of the other task force members, though they did sympathize with him. Now, he had to think of a different plan.

It was incredibly difficult trying to think with all the emotions swimming around in his mind. He recalled thinking while they were dating that he didn't want to develop feelings for her because that was how idiots made mistakes and got caught. He silently cursed himself for being in that very predicament now, but he couldn't have known then the situation he'd be in now. It was bound to be difficult, separating his feelings from the case, but if his father could do it then so could he. He just had to focus on the task at hand, and he'd figure out what to do.

Misa's kidnapper was a die-hard Kira supporter, and also clearly very smart because he'd figured out where their task force was located. He was going to use the news at Sakura TV to deliver his message, demanding the task force stop hunting Kira. The broadcast was just starting now, and he heard the news anchor reporting the breaking news. It didn't concern him half as much as what he was going to do.

Kira was the key. It was obvious this man was a fanatic, though he found it questionable that someone who believed in Kira's ideals so fiercely would resort to criminal activity to get Kira to reign supreme. Somewhere behind him, he heard Ryuk snort in derision, but he ignored it. Since he was Kira, he could obviously send a message to this man somehow, demand Misa's safe return, but he didn't know how he could do it without making it so obvious that it was her _specific case _he was interested in.

But then, a plan formed in his head so quickly it made him dizzy. Thankfully, his Mother had finished wrapping his hand so he could stand up. "Dad?"

Chief Yagami looked to his son. "What is it, Light?"

"What if we posed as Kira?"

Chief Yagami looked flabbergasted. "What are you talking about, Light?"

"This guy is obviously a huge Kira supporter. He wants Kira's view of justice to prevail at any cost. If Kira himself made an announcement stating that he wants all violence in his name to stop, because he wants a peaceful world, he'd have to listen, wouldn't he?"

"Yes…" Chief Yagami said hesitantly. "But how would you explain why he would take such specific interest in that now?"

"There may have been incidents similar to this, but this case is the most highly publicized. It's going global. There's no way for Kira to not have seen it, real or fake. I have the voice modification software on my laptop, and I could send it to one of the other members of the task force and use their computer from a remote location to broadcast the message, and give them a spot to drop Misa off at. It would look as though Kira was addressing the world, when really it's all about getting Misa back."

"Yes… Yes, I think that would work, Light." Chief Yagami said, nodding. "We'll have to start working on it quickly."

"Don't I know it." Light said, standing up. "First thing's first, we have to figure out what location we would have him drop Misa off at. It can't be connected to any of us."

"There's an abandoned warehouse that used to be a processing plant near the docks." Aizawa suggested. "No one's been there in years."

"_Perfect_." Light said. "I'm going to send the voice modification software to your computer, Matsuda. Can you and Hideki work on making Kira's voice while I start figuring out the note?"

"You got it!" Matsuda said, getting his laptop out and preparing to get to work. His ever-present enthusiasm reminded Light of Misa, and he was momentarily disoriented by it, feeling a a hot stabbing of pain that had nothing to do with his hand, before he reoriented himself.

"Aizawa, can you go with Mogi and Ukita to check that the warehouse is still abandoned and someplace we can use as a drop off, and if it is, inform the NPA so they can do a sting operation to catch the kidnapper?"

"Yes, sir!" Aizawa said, with Mogi and Ukita nodding beside him. The three of them stood up, making their way from the building.

"What can I do, Light?" Chief Yagami asked his son.

"Can you do another sweep and look for any cameras or bugs in the rest of the building? I know this room is secure, but I want to know how that guy got in here without somebody knowing about it."

"Of course." Said Soichiro, getting up from his spot on the couch and walking out the doors.

That done, Light sat down at his laptop, pulled up a word document, and began to type his message.

_Hang on, Misa. I'm coming._


	10. Message

The Japanese Task Force set to work immediately, each going about their given tasks with a startling intensity. It was hardly surprising, given the circumstances. Though cases changed, police work didn't, and they were all very much aware that this could have been their girlfriend or their wife. Light was considered one of their own now, and when one of their own was in trouble, the did not hesitate to work as quickly as possible to get them out of it.

With all of them working together, it only took two hours for them to pull everything together. It was all up to the kidnapper from that point on.

In an empty house at the edge of Tokyo, abandoned for years, one man sat rhythmically cleaning the same spot over and over again. He's been in this house before- grew up in it, actually, but because of what happened there, nobody has lived there since. He's cleaned this exact spot before, many years ago. The spot was once stained red with blood, as was the road outside. His father had died here all those years ago, the victim of mistaken identity with the drug dealer who previously owned it. His mother, fleeing for her life, had ran out into the road, only to be hit by a car. Had he not been at school that day, he likely would have died with them.

That was the moment where both his passion for Justice and his passion for cleaning began. He could still recall how it made him feel, sitting on his knees trying to clean the blood off of the road where his mother died. The gravel had hurt his knees, but after the blood was gone he'd felt an enormous relief. His parents' killer had never been caught, and he hadn't gotten the justice he'd so desperately wanted. That was why Kira was so important. Kira understood the families who had been wronged in that way, and were still suffering. That was why Kira was God.

He heard muffled squealing in the other room and it was irritating him. He put his sponge down, hands still smelling of soap, and walked to the next room. Lying on an old, stained mattress, with zip ties around her ankles and wrists and a piece of tape over her mouth, Misa Amane struggled, trying to get up.

"Stop struggling." He hissed. "Quiet down."

She tried to say something but all that came out were muffled noises. Irritated and grating, he looked over to the shelf, where a small telescope, dusty with age, still sat. He picked it up, thankful his hands were gloved and that the dust wouldn't get on him. "If you don't stop now, I'm going to hit you. Do you understand?"

"Mmmm!" It was defiant, even without a shout to match it.

"I warned you." He said, and brought it down upon her head. It wasn't hard enough to kill her, but it would definitely knock her out for a while and let him have some quiet. He was about to go back to cleaning when he noticed that it was time to watch Sakura TV. He got his pen and notepad, and flipped on the dusty old set with rabbit ears that had been left here all those years ago, but that he'd fixed for this very occasion.

As usual, Hitoshi Demegawa's face filled the screen for another episode of _Kira's Kingdom_. He looked incredibly excited today.

"Today we have a special announcement. Sakura TV is honored to be the first TV station in Kira's Kingdom to have received a message from Kira himself!"

His jaw dropped at the news, and his eyes began to glow with the strange, disconcerted zeal that came with news of Kira. He had his favorite black pen at the ready to take down the entire thing.

"Here we go!"

The screen flashed, and a large stylized K came on the screen. "This is Kira." The disguised voice spoke. "I have come to speak to the world for my followers, those who believe in the way of justice. To those of you watching this broadcast, who believe that crime and violence is wrong, I ask you why you are committing crimes on my behalf. I believe in a world without crime. To do crime because of me is to go against everything I stand for, everything I am. The news of Misa Amane's kidnapping has reached me today, and it sickened me. A bright young girl was taken on behalf of me, and I want no part of that. To whomever took her, if you are watching this, let her go. Drop her off at the abandoned Kamaboko warehouse near the wharf. To all of my followers, who believe in justice and a perfect world, I thank you. Thank you for walking in the way of the new world. But do not commit crimes on behalf of me in it, for it only makes you the criminals in it. Thank you."

Hitoshi Demegawa came back on screen, but he wasn't listening to him. He was instead trying to process what Kira had said. He had done wrong? He had not followed the way of Kira? But he only kidnapped the girl to bring Kira unquestioned leadership. Was he in the wrong for trying to glorify Kira's name? He began to rub his hands together, suddenly feeling unclean. He went to the old bathroom, and washed his hands in the sink to rid himself of that feeling. Once it was gone, his thoughts began to organize themselves again.

If God commanded he return the girl, then that was what he would do. Perhaps he could find some way to atone for his sins along the way. Perhaps, even, he would meet Kira himself. He went to get Misa, picked her up, and loaded her into the back of the white laundry van, and proceeded to drive off for the warehouse Kira had commanded him.


	11. Confrontation

The operation was set up. The plan was in place. Now, all of the NPA, The Japanese Task Force, and the public were collectively holding their breaths to see what would happen next. The members of the Japanese Task Force, Light included, sat in various concealed positions near the warehouse. The hum of tension in the air was almost audible, and was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Light was tensed behind a barrel on a loading dock, having the most direct and shortest route to the door. He'd asked his father to be at the front of the line, so that after Misa's kidnapper was arrested, he could get to her quickly. His father, of course, complied.

Now, crouched down, he was coiled to spring at a moment's notice. His ears strained to hear the sound of gravel crunching under tires, the sound of a car approaching, the sound of footsteps- anything to tell him that this interminable period of waiting was nearly over. All he could think about was getting Misa back in his arms and never letting her go again. He could see their reunion in his mind's eye- her standing there, calling his name, him seeing her, running to her, and holding her in his arms while she cried. He'd comfort her, assure her it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't have known, and then they would go see the paramedics, whom they had yet to call because the sirens would have given their position away.

He wanted to fidget with his hands, but he didn't dare. Even the slightest wrong move could foil his carefully thought out plan, and that was dangerous for Misa and the baby. He wouldn't do anything to put her in more danger than she already was in now. So he waited in a stillness so complete it made his joints hurt. He waited, feeling nervous, scared, but hopeful, that Misa and their child would be home tonight.

The part of him that was Kira was raging for justice against what had happened to Misa and his child. He felt the anger and hatred with such force it took all his might not to shake with it. He wanted the man who did this dead. The thought that he would punish them later with the death note did not pacify him as it typically would have. Ordinarily, he would have simply written the name and let it go, but this was different. This was _personal_. This was his future wife and child being endangered and what he really wanted to do was give this guy a punch in the face before he bloodied him up until he died at Light's own hand. As it was, he was going to have to settle for giving this man the most violent, gruesome, tormenting, agonizing accidental death he could think of.

Challenge accepted.

His mind was still running through gruesome fantasies when something else captured his attention.

The sound of a car approaching, of tires crunching on gravel. He sucked in a breath. This was it.

He didn't dare look from his position, or risk being spotted. So he closed his eyes and listened, imagining everything as it happened in his mind.

The sound of a door opening, a man stepping out onto the wharf, gravel under his shoes. He steps backwards a few steps, opening a new door. A soft grunting noise. He was picking up something. Light's heart skipped a beat when he thought about what that something was. More footsteps. Then, the grating noise of an old door, rusted with age, being opened. Footsteps, fading from where they had once been, but not inaudible either.

Then, chaos.

"Police!" Came the shout. A pounding of footsteps from every direction, shouting, general pandemonium.

Finally, he moved from his position and got a look.

The man had short black hair, coiffed to one side with what looked to be a ludicrous amount of pomade. He wore a black shirt, pressed black pants, black leather gloves, and looked to be insane. Now that the man's face was firmly imprinted in his mind, and he was detained by the police, it was his time to go.

He was running, his feet cycling one after the other, pounding the pavement with such harshness it should have hurt his legs. But it didn't, because he couldn't feel anything with the massive amount of hope violently exploding in his chest. The nightmare was nearly over. In just a minute, he would have his dream world back. The darkness of this day would never touch him again. After the man was dead, life would go back to normal. Their lives would be happy, surrounded by the magic of her pregnancy and their shared ideals of justice. The darkness would never touch them again because they had one another. They were the light in one another's lives, strong enough to chase away any dark that dared to try and move in.

The warehouse doors were coming up rapidly, and he'd never been so thankful for a door in his life. He ran toward the darkness of the warehouse, and as his eyes focused, he saw a shape lying on the ground.

"Misa!" He called out her name, but she did not move. As he got closer, he saw that she was tied up, with tape over her mouth. But the closer he got, the more he saw something terrifying. A bit of blood on her temple, and her eyes were shut. He grabbed a small pocket knife from out of his back pocket and got it out, cutting the zip ties from her wrists and ankles before removing the tape from her strawberry colored lips. He heard no air coming through her mouth or nose. Terror, pure and undiluted, ripped through him, and he put his head on her chest where he knew he would hear the sound of the heart that beat only for him.

Instead, there was silence.


	12. Heartbeat

_One._

His hands moved to her chest, hand over hand as he put them over her heart and began compressions.

_Oh Light, my heart beats only for you!_

She'd spoken those words so many times. He'd always taken them for granted, but now he was desperately, fervently praying them to be true. He couldn't lose her. Their life together had barely even started. It couldn't be over. Not yet.

_Two._

They had made so many plans together, for themselves and for the baby. Who was going to rule as his goddess in the new world if not her? He'd promised her that after the baby was born they would have a real wedding together, and not just one at the courthouse. She'd told him how she wanted a wedding with twinkling lights and roses because she wanted it to be the most magical night of her life. She'd told him their whole relationship had been a real-life fairytale, and she'd been right. It was a fairytale where love and justice conquered all in the end. The ending couldn't happen this early. Snow White couldn't bite the poison apple and _stay _asleep. That wasn't how the story was supposed to end.

They had made plans for the baby, too. A new life, and a new world. He'd pictured himself and her sitting together on the couch in their apartment, a son or daughter cradled between them, all smiles. They still had to take him or her to Disneyland, still take them to school, still watch them grow up. That tiny little life couldn't be over before it even began.

_Three._

The Japanese Task Force members were all gathering around him. Chief Yagami felt his heart tighten in his chest as he looked at his son frantically pumping the chest of his future daughter-in-law. He'd seen things like this many times before, and it almost never ended well. Much as he wanted Misa to make it- both because he liked her, and because he knew how much she meant to his son- he knew the cold, hard truth. His son might very well be working over a corpse. The thought filled him with an amount of pity and sorrow that was unmatchable.

The rest of the Task Force watched, anxious and pitiful looks on their faces, as their youngest member worked over his fiancée with vigor. All of them were holding their breath collectively, waiting for the same miracle they had seen happen to others. When all hope looked gone, suddenly the victim would take a breath, and it would all be over. They all, whether consciously or unconsciously, flinched at the words Light yelled.

"Come on, Misa! Keep your heart beating! You promised you would never leave me, and you can't break that promise now!"

_Four._

Tears were streaming down Light's face with uninhibited abandon. It wasn't working. No. He had to stop thinking like that. It wasn't working _now_, but it _would work _and she would be up in just a moment, ready to love him again. Her face filled his mind, swam in his vision. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to her. Not now, not ever. He needed her more than he had ever needed another human being. He just couldn't let her go.

What would he do without her? Would he really be able to come home to their empty apartment day in and day out and stay sane? Who would he turn to for help in his times of need? Who would love a man like him the way she did?

In that moment, he knew that if she did not make it, he wouldn't need Ryuk to write his name in the Death Note to die. He would be dead inside already, with achieving their dream as his only reason to keep on living. Even that might not have been enough. Could he really keep going on with his life without her? He wasn't entirely sure he could manage it.

_Five._

A sob escaped him, tried to choke him with it's ferocity. It took everything he had not to be sick. His Misa- for the was what she had always called herself- wasn't breathing. Their baby wasn't getting oxygen. His world was falling apart.

And then, it happened.

He felt air on his exposed wrist that was by her mouth. He leaned his head down to be sure he hadn't imagined it, and was assured when he felt her warm breath on his neck. He stopped pumping, and watched her eyes flutter open. She looked at him, bleary-eyed and confused as though woken from a dream too quickly.

"Light?"

He felt himself sobbing now, but it was with happiness. He pulled her into his arms, shaking with joy and relief.

"You were dead. Your heart stopped." He said.

"It's okay. It's working now." She said, sluggishly wrapping her arms around him.

"I love you so much, Misa. I swear I'll Never let you go again." He said.

"I love you too, Light."

For a few moments he was too overcome with his joy to think straight. Then, he remembered the important question he had to ask her before somebody else got too close.

He leaned his lips down to her ear. "I need something from you."

"What?" Her voice was quiet.

"I need his name."

The others were getting too close now. She couldn't tell him. It would have to wait.

The blaring of sirens broke up the happy reunion as the paramedics came to the scene at last. Misa found herself being passed around. From Light's arms, to a hospital gurney, to an ambulance. Light leapt in the back of the ambulance, holding her hand as the paramedics took her vital signs and asked her countless questions.

Though he was desperate for his revenge, he knew the name could wait for now. First, they needed to know if their baby was okay. With sirens flashing and horns blaring the whole way, they were raced to the hospital.


	13. Waiting

Light was pacing.

In the bright and oppressive hospital waiting room that smelled like antiseptic and sick, he couldn't make himself stop. His anxiety was skyrocketing, high as it could go. He couldn't stop thinking.

Misa's heart had stopped. He had come _this close_ to losing her and their baby. The magnitude of all he stood to lose both as a man and as a god was not lost on him. It had shaken him to his core. It had been three hours since he'd arrived here and the bile in his throat hadn't gone down from where it had lodged itself when he'd first gotten there. He couldn't keep himself from panicking. What would happen to his fiancée and his child? Would they survive?

The idea of either of them not making it tried to force the bile up, and he had to tamp down the fear to keep from getting sick. His father had come after the initial pandemonium had been over, and tried to comfort his son, but it was a fruitless endeavor, understandably. With the circumstances surrounding why they were there, it wasn't working.

"Light, please sit down." Soichiro Yagami said calmly.

"I can't, Dad." He said. "I can't just… sit there and take it." He said more softly.

"You have nothing to gain from pacing except exhausting yourself. You need to rest, just as Misa does."

"I know but I just… I can't. If I stay still, it will just… sink in." He said.

Soichiro understood that completely. The fear of letting everything sink in breaking you down. It had felt like that for him when he'd found out his family was being investigated. He recalled constantly telling himself to not think too far into it or he would lose his mind. Still, he worried for his son.

"I understand."

Both of their musings were interrupted by a nurse.

"Light Yagami?"

In a leap and bound, or so it seemed, he stood in front of her. "I'm Light Yagami. Is my fiancée okay?"

"You'll have to ask the doctor about that, but she is awake and asking for you. I'm here to take you to her room.

Relief shot through him like a drug, and he followed her.

In a tiny hospital room, sitting up in bed, Misa Amane lay there waiting for Light to come. Her head was pounding and her wrists and ankles throbbed and were horribly chafed and in some places bleeding, but none of that seemed to matter. She just wanted Light to come and hold her and tell her everything would be alright.

When the door opened, their relief was simultaneous.

She reached out her arms to him. "Light!"

"Misa!" He raced over to her and hugged her as gently as he could, uncertain of her injuries. He wanted to crush her to his chest and never let go, but he didn't want to hurt her. He took in her scent, the feel of her in his arms. He could feel her tears seeping into his clothes.

"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed. "If I hadn't gotten sick right then-"

"Don't." He found himself crying alongside her. "Don't do that to yourself. You couldn't have known."

"They haven't said anything about the baby. I'm scared, Light." She said, looking into his eyes. She looked so lost and frightened. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but the truth was, he was afraid too. He just squeezed her hand in acknowledgement, hoping that gesture would be enough to bring comfort to her when he couldn't find the words to do so.

The reunion was interrupted by the doctor knocking on the door. Both of them whipped their heads around to face him so quickly their necks hurt.

"Miss Amane?"

"Yes?"

"My name is Dr. Nakamura. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Headache. How's the baby?"

The doctor flipped through his chart and Light had to fight to stop himself from ripping the chart from the doctor's hands.

"Miss Amane, after careful examination, it seems the baby is fine."

The relief that washed over them both was staggering. Misa fell back against her pillow. Light's knees buckled, and he fell to the ground.

_Thank God._

"You have a concussion, and normally that wouldn't be a problem but considering that your heart stopped you'll have to stay a few days for monitoring, but other than a headache you should be fine."

"How did her heart stop?" Light asked.

"When somebody gets a concussion, there is a chance of heart attack happening. However, it has to be severe. She was hit in the head several times, and it caused her to have a heart attack." The doctor explained.

Light felt undiluted fury rip through him at lightning speed. He was going to make sure the man who did this paid for it.

"And the baby? Could this affect the baby at all developmentally?"

"To the best of my knowledge, her heart only stopped for a few seconds. I ran the numbers by one of our pediatric nurses, and she said that the baby should not be affected. We'll be able to test for any problems as she gets further along in her pregnancy."

Light's relief was so immeasurable he couldn't speak. He just nodded.

"In any event, Miss Amane, a nurse will be giving you lortab for your pain."

"Is it safe to take? With the baby, I mean?"

"Absolutely." The doctor assured her.

Misa smiled, and she nodded, resting a hand on her stomach. "Thank you."

"Certainly." The doctor said, before bowing out of the room.

Misa sobbed, and Light wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. Our baby is okay." She said, smiling through her tears.

He was crying alongside her. "I love you so much, Misa. And I love our baby."

Their relief was immense. Finally, things could go back to normal. There was just one thing he had to take care of first.

"Misa?"

"Yeah?"

"What was his name?"

"Takako Tamuro." She said.

He nodded. "I promise, he'll never hurt you again."

Their lips crashed upon each other. They couldn't speak anymore.


	14. Debate

Rain pattered on the window, as gray clouds gathered overhead. The weather had called for a downpour, and it only seemed befitting on this most sorrowful of days. It was night now, the dead of it, but inside the walls of the Hospital where the lights were always on, nobody could tell the difference. The only indication of the late hour was the lack of sound. Aside from the beeping of machinery, very seldom did the jarring noise of footsteps clacking on linoleum floors echo in the halls. Everybody seemed to be asleep, or too still to make a peep, and when footsteps sounded, it was doctors or nurses making their rounds. But that sound didn't come to this room. Not at this late hour.

Light Yagami sat wide awake, long after the rest of the world had fallen asleep, lost in his thoughts.

Despite still having to write Takako Tamuro's name in the Death Note, Light stayed with Misa in the hospital that night. He couldn't imagine leaving her side after everything that had happened. His father had bickered quietly with the doctors and nurses on his behalf to allow him to stay, and had eventually won, and so he stayed.

In the uncomfortable hard-backed chair in the hospital, Light sat, watching. The sound of Misa's breathing filled him with peace. His eyes never left her. Long after the rest of his family had left to go home, and Misa had fallen asleep, he was awake. It seemed a lonely world, somehow, without the presence of the sun. Without Misa awake. It was himself, and his thoughts.

His mind played the events of the day on a feedback loop that he didn't want. He had almost lost everything precious in his life today, and his cruel mind would not let him forget it. He wanted to shut off the loop in his head, begged his brain to stop it, but it would not yield to him. And so it played and played, until at last he had a small breakdown, burying his head in his hands to cry. He had almost lost everything he ever cared about, and it was all because of being Kira.

The idea of giving up the Death Note came up in his brain again, this time far more strongly than the last. The death note had nearly cost him Misa and his unborn child's life. Once he wrote down Tamuro's name, he thought he might be able to give it up. The world wasn't _as _rotten as it had been. Maybe that was enough.

It was a rare moment of lucidity, seen nearly as often as a blue moon. A glimpse of the humanity that still lay within him. A reminder that he- despite having some of the powers of a god, was still painfully human. Unlike a god, he still had his weaknesses. Misa and the baby were two of his biggest ones, and today they had both been endangered because of his quest for power.

Fuck power. Fuck being a God. What good was lighting the world on fire if he had to watch it burn alone? If he couldn't have a better world that his fiancée and child could live in, what had been the point of all this? Was he really going to let a quest for power destroy the only good things in his life?

He ran his hands down his face, where tear tracks had dried and made his face feel stiff. Ryuk, unseen by anyone else but him, hovered in one corner of Misa's room, watching him. Humans were definitely interesting. Ryuk flew over to him.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Ryuk asked him.

It was a good question. Certainly a fair one. This was a choice that only he could make. The death note was his, and his alone. He had the power to use it, but he also had the power to give it up. Deciding which to choose was not going to be easy.

If he gave up the death note, then perhaps Kira's supporters could someday finish what he had started, purging the world of evil. However, that was a rather lofty goal. The entire world, even just in Kira's supporters, did not share his views on justice, did not know his ideas well enough to execute it perfectly. It was painfully clear to him that the only person who could do this the right way was himself.

More than that, he needed the death note for protection. He needed it to keep Misa and their child safe. If one of them ever got into danger, it was his duty as a husband and a father to save them.

He sighed. "I can't let it go, Ryuk. Even if I want to." It was a deathly quiet whisper, so light that it barely pierced the air.

"Interesting."

"I can't let them be without the death note's protection."

"Wouldn't it be protecting them more to give it up?"

"Not if I want to keep them safe from the rest of the world. It's just too rotten."

"You know, Light, even I know that to try and protect everyone often leads to failure. You should be more careful or you'll get yourself into more trouble."

"It's not me I'm worried about."

"Maybe you should be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Have you taken into account how all this has affected you? Stop worrying about others for a minute and start worrying about yourself."

"I'm surprised, Ryuk. I didn't think you cared that much."

"I don't. I just like seeing things from every side."

"There are no other ways to see it, Ryuk. I've got a fiancée and a baby on the way. I can't put myself first anymore. I have to think about them."

"That's a new one."

He smiled a little bit at that. "Fatherhood makes you rethink a lot of your views on life. It can't be about just what I want anymore. In a few months there's going to be someone depending on me for everything. Food, shelter, clothing, a home. I can't just go around doing things the way I used to. This baby is going to need a good father, and I have to be that first."

He would be that. No matter what it took. Perhaps sometime in the future he would be able to give up the death note, but he couldn't. Not now. He had to keep killing, for the sake of his family.

"I'm going to keep them safe." He vowed to himself.

Ryuk, in response, just watched him. Humans were so interesting.


	15. Proposal

Rays of early morning sun filtered through the window of Misa Amane's hospital room. She awoke, at what might have been a time too early for her to be awake at all. She grimaced as her head pounded with the headache that had yet to go away, hoping the nurse would come soon to give her something for her pain. Turning her head- which was quite a feat considering how badly she was hurting- she saw Light, slumped over in a chair beside her bed and snoring softly. She smiled. He hadn't left her all night.

She reached out to set her hand gently on his knee, trying not to wake him. She needed to feel him, to know that he was there. She knew that she would be safe as long as he was with her, and she needed that feeling right now. Her free hand moved to her stomach, as she thought about their baby. During her whole ordeal, that's what had scared her the most. More than never seeing Light again, even. That something would happen to their baby and it would be her fault because she couldn't protect them.

The thought put a lump in her throat, and she tried to swallow it but found herself unable to. Her eyes watered with the beginnings of tears and she couldn't stop herself from crying. She had never been so scared in her entire life. Her body began to shake with her silent sobs.

The vibrations from her sobs woke Light, and he looked to see Misa sobbing. Through the haze of sleepy confusion, the sight managed to break through to him, and immediately he stood up and went over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"What's wrong, Misa?"

She sobbed into his shoulder. "Light, I was so scared!"

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "I know, baby. But you're safe now. You both are. And I'll never let you go again." He promised.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "If anything happened to our baby it would have been my fault."

"It wouldn't have. Misa, none of this was your fault. Please, don't do this to yourself."

"I can't help it. I've lost nearly everybody I've loved already and to even think about losing our baby…"

He held her tighter. "I know." He said softly. "I feel the same way."

He held her as she cried. For a long time the only sounds that filled their room were the beeping of machinery and her quiet sobbing. When she finally calmed down, he spoke again.

"Misa?"

"Yeah?" She asked, using a tissue to wipe her nose and eyes.

"I know we said we'd wait a few weeks before we went to the courthouse, but I don't want to wait anymore. When I think of all we could have lost, it made me realize how precious together our time is. I don't want to spend another minute without you by my side."

She looked at him. "What are you saying?"

He got down on one knee, holding her hands. "Misa Amane, will you marry me?"

And suddenly she was crying all over again, but for a good reason. "Yes. Of course I will." She said, and leaned over to kiss him. When the kiss broke apart, they were both smiling.

"I thought you'd never ask." She smiled.

He couldn't help the cocky grin that came across his face. "I did."

She laughed, but winced when it hurt her head. He noticed, and rubbed his thumb over her hand to try and give her some small comfort.

Thankfully, a nurse came in shortly after with her pain medication.

The two of them were chattering happily with one another.

"You know, I really don't want to wait." She said. "It's gonna be hard staying in the hospital when I could be marrying you!"

He smiled. "I know, but we should have our friends and family there. I wouldn't want them to miss it. Can you imagine Matsuda's face as I make the world's most beautiful woman my bride?"

She smiled and leaned into kiss him. "He'll be jealous."

"_Everyone _will be jealous. I'm counting on it."

"I'll have to go shopping to find the perfect dress." She mused.

"It doesn't have to be perfect. Anything you wear is perfect in my eyes. We could get married in our pajamas and you'd still be the most beautiful woman on earth."

She smiled. "And just think, when I wear an actual wedding gown at our wedding, we'll be a family."

He grinned widely at the thought, placing a hand on her stomach. "I can't wait for that."

"We'll have a tiny little flower girl to spread petals down the aisle as I walk to forever with you, or a little ring bearer to seal our future together. Can't you see it?"

He smiled, imagining it. "I sure can."

"When I get out of the hospital we'll go home for a night and then the next day we can go to the courthouse."

"You don't want to do it right after?"

"I'd like to spend one night at home again. Besides, we'll need that time to call everyone important to us for the wedding. People have to make arrangements, you know."

"True. I just don't know if I can make myself wait any longer."

"You will. I'll help you. I promise."

"That's what I'm counting on." He said, before he moved to give her a kiss.

He knew it was true. He could always count on her, and would be able to until the day he died. That's what he had wanted in a partner from the beginning. Someone loyal, someone trustworthy, someone who was the perfect fit for him. It seemed absurd for a God to still pray, but he did, asking for someone like him, and he got the answer to his prayers in her. Now all that was left to do was seal the union between them forever.

He couldn't wait.


	16. Wedding

Misa left the hospital two days later, and the only time Light allowed her out of his sight was to go shopping for the dress she would wear to their marriage ceremony. During those two days, he sat at her bedside, coordinating everything for their nuptials by ordering a cake, finding an ordained minister, ordering rings, getting food, and asking a friend of his to DJ for the wedding. He had already decided to wear the suit he'd worn to give the freshman address at To-Oh University a few years ago. Instead, he stayed at their apartment to do something important.

The pen glided across the paper effortlessly, and he grinned at what was there.

_Takako Tamuro_

_Accidental Death_

_Dies on February 21st at 3 PM in a prison riot gone wrong. Prisoners riot, demanding the removal of their information from the internet to protect themselves against Kira. Tamuro is accidentally stabbed, then trampled. One prisoner notices him on the floor as he is dying. Beheads him first as a "mercy killing"._

It was a solid month away. Plenty of time for suspicion to be thrown off of him. Light smiled, and then put away the death note for the moment. Twenty one names had been added after Tamuro's, set to die at all times through the next few days, but he wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about Misa, waiting for her to come back. When she did, three hours later, she prattled on for a solid twenty minutes about finding the perfect dress, shoes, and jewelry. He only half-heard her. He was too focused on the relief he felt at having her in his arms again.

The night was spent apart, however. Misa had decided to sleep over at Nori's for the night at the last minute, considering the old adage that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding. He'd picked a fight about that, considering everything that had happened, said they could just put a curtain up in the apartment or something, but she hadn't yielded. He hadn't wanted to stress her- goodness knew she didn't need it, so he had acquiesced to her wishes.

The next day had much for him to do anyways. His mother and sister were picking up the food he'd ordered, but it was up to him to get the apartment set up for the reception afterward, moving the couch and setting up some extra chairs to accommodate their guests. There weren't going to be many, but they should have seats for dinner. The Japanese Task force, his family, and her friend Nori were all set to attend. He let his friend in to get set up, before he left for the justice building.

His father was picking up the rings for him, and the ordained minister was getting there himself. It was just him, now. Getting toward the justice building to marry his bride.

When he got there, his father was there with the rings they'd selected online, along with his mother and sister. His bride was bound to be in closer to time, and until they were called, he couldn't stop fidgeting, anxious.

He got the call two minutes before they were scheduled to go in. Misa was outside the doors, but wanted to walk down the aisle. He'd nearly fallen over in his seat with relief.

Finally, it was their turn.

He went up to where the minister stood, and looked at the doors, anxious.

They opened, and he saw her. She took his breath away.

In a floral lace mermaid dress with a deep v neck that touched the floor, with matching lace opera gloves, she was a vision. Her golden hair, normally up in pigtails, was half up and half down, curled at the ends so it cascaded down her back. A solitaire diamond necklace was the only jewelry she wore, but it accented her dress perfectly. Her makeup was natural, with a light pink shading her lips, her skin cream and roses with a hint of blush. Her lashes were thick, and framed the huge doe eyes he loved so much. They were glowing with joy. A veil was carefully inserted into her hair, and she carried a bouquet of red roses in her hands.

He had never seen her look so beautiful in all his life.

He could feel tears stinging his eyes as he watched her walk toward him. When she put her hand in his, he never wanted to let her go.

"You look so beautiful." He said, his voice unusually husky.

Her beaming gaze, triumphant with her victory, was the best thing in the world.

The officiant began to speak, cutting off any response she may have had.

"Dearly beloved and honored guests: We are gathered together here to join Light Yagami and Misa Amane in the union of marriage. Marriage is founded on the idea that love can last forever, forsaking all others for one person. It's saying to another person, "I love you, because I love you, and I know that this will be a difficult journey, but I don't want to face the journey of life without you.". Light and Misa have come today among those who love them to say that to one another. The bride and groom have each prepared vows that they will read now."

Light spoke first, beaming with joy as he said the words older than time itself. "I, Light Yagami, take you, Misa Amane, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life."

Misa beamed, and spoke next. "I, Misa Amane, take you, Light Yagami, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life."

The officiant turned to him. "Light, do you take Misa to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others, and holding only unto her forevermore?"

"I do." The words rang out clearly, with undisguised victory in his voice.

"Misa, do you take Light to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do." She said, a happy tear coming down her face.

"And now, the rings." Said the officiant. Nori and Soichiro, respectively, handed each of them the other ring. "Light, please place the ring on Misa's left hand and repeat after me." He paused, then continued.

"As a sign of my love."

"As a sign of my love"

"That I have chosen you"

"That I have chosen you"

"Above all else"

"Above all else"

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Light slid the heart-shaped diamond ring with a diamond-encrusted band onto her left hand. The officiant smiled.

"And Misa, please place the ring on Light's left hand and repeat after me." Another pause, then the continuation.

"As a sign of my love."

"As a sign of my love"

"That I have chosen you"

"That I have chosen you"

"Above all else"

"Above all else"

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

She slipped the diamond-studded silver band around his finger, smiling so widely it surely must have hurt.

"Marriage is founded in communication and trust. Continue to love one another, devote your time to the other, talk to each other. More than anything, marriage takes love. Grow yourselves in the love that began your marriage, and give the time necessary to help your relationship grow. It will take love, loyalty, dedication, and trust to hold true to the journey you have both begun today." He said.

Light squeezed Misa's hand in a silent promise to do all those things, as she squeezed his back. The minister continued.

"And now, by the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

He pulled her into his arms, and kissed his wife for the first time.


	17. Reception

The smattering of applause from their gathered friends and family didn't seem to reach Light and Misa as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife. When their lips broke apart, they smiled at each other- big, goofy grins that betrayed just how happy they were. Then, they turned to their friends and family, smiling, before they signed their marriage certificate.

The wedding flowed effortlessly into the reception, as proof of Light's flawless planning. They all went back to the apartment, and found it decorated for the occasion. Most notably, the couch had been pushed against one wall, the coffee table against another, to create a spacious dance floor. Light's friend, whom he'd asked to DJ the occasion, had music playing when they walked through the door. It was a triumphant homecoming.

The Task Force members all came in time for dinner, and most of them didn't take their eyes off of Misa- Matsuda in particular. Light, however, didn't notice it. He only had eyes for his bride. As their family and friends feasted upon clear soup with shrimp cake, sashimi, Kinki, kazunoko, rice and miso soup, and a bit of melon with champagne. When it came time to cut the cake, it was a two layered cake. Sponge cake with whipped cream and large pieces of strawberry- Misa's favorite. Together, they cut the cake with camera bulbs flashing as they did so.

When it came time to feed each other a bite of the cake, Misa had just a bit of fun with it and got a bit of frosting on Light's cheek, which she kissed away. He knew he'd never forget the sparkle in her eyes at the sight. Unbeknownst to those watching them, there was also a crate full of apples relegated to one corner of the apartment that was not visited by any guest. However, the apples continuously disappeared.

Ryuk sat inside of the crate, watching the wedding from inside. He didn't understand humans at all, why they did all of these elaborate rituals, but considering what it got him, he kept his mouth shut. Light and Misa had wanted to include something for him in the wedding as well, considering the death note brought them together. Were it not for him, the wedding may not have happened. So, they chose to thank him with his favorite addiction.

When the food had been cleaned up, it was finally time for their first dance. Misa had agonized over the choice of music for this moment more than anything else. There were so many love songs that just seemed to fit them. "A Million Dreams" by P!nk would have been her first choice, but considering the lyrics in the song spoke too closely on Kira's ideals and they were both under suspicion, they had to choose differently. The choice had been between "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and "Beautiful In White" by Shane Filian. She loved both of the songs and hadn't been able to choose between them. It was Light who solved the conundrum by telling her they could dance to both if he asked his friend to bridge the two songs together. Mercifully, that was exactly what his friend had done.

He bowed slightly, offering his hand to her as the music began to play. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Yagami?"

She smiled, slipping her gloved hand into his. "You may, Mr. Yagami."

They walked to the center of the living room, now a rather spacious dance floor, and began to twirl around it like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as a crowd gathered around them. However, they simply didn't notice them as they twirled and moved to the beat of the music. Holding one another so closely, being together for the first time after all that had happened, it was as though nobody else existed. They kept close at all times, foreheads almost touching, occasionally kissing.

Light had never felt so lucky in his entire life. For all the times Ryuk told him that the Death Note only brought misery and misfortune to those who owned it, he couldn't bring himself to believe the Shinigami's words. The Death Note had brought him the love of his life and was soon bringing him a child as well. He couldn't have imagined either of those things for himself, and yet here they were. Dropped into his lap as though some God of a higher rank than himself knew exactly what he needed. Not many people got all the things they wanted plus all the things they never thought to ask for within a period of ten days. He has never been so grateful to be living in the world he'd once deemed so rotten.

When their dance ended, Light shared a dance with his mother, who had spent the course of the day silently weeping and beaming with pride. She told him how proud she was of the man he had become, and he'd smiled at her and told her he loved her. The moment was bittersweet for Misa, as she wouldn't dance with her father, but had nonetheless prepared a tribute to him. In lieu of a father-daughter dance, she sang the song "First Man" to honor him and his important role in her life. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when she'd finished.

After that, the dance floor was open to all as the music changed. It was a strange time of togetherness for all of them. That day, Kira seemed unimportant. Task Force Members and Kira supporters danced together in a humane celebration of unity. For once, all animosity held between them was forgotten in lieu of just being together.

As the night drew to a close, and a mass exodus happened from their apartment as people went home to their families, Light pulled his bride in close for a kiss. Finally, he never had to worry about letting her go again. She was his, now and forever.

This was the best day of his life.


	18. Decision

Blue night engulfed Japan, stars glimmering in the sky as though they were small holes poked in the fabric of the night that blanketed the city. Traffic was nearly nonexistent, with a hush falling over the busy streets. Trees stood tall among the cityscape, stretching their branches upward like fingers, occasionally rapping against windows as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

In this most still of nights, Light Yagami was up, sitting by his bedroom window on the night after the greatest day of his life. His wedding to Misa had been everything he could have asked for, and after the reception had ended, they had made love like never before. Misa had fallen asleep a little while ago, exhausted both from the surge of emotions the day had brought on and her pregnancy, but he was wide awake, thinking of something serious.

He looked up at the moon that hung in the sky. It's fullness allowed light to stream in through his window and bathe him in the secrecy of the night. There was something about the night that made him feel protected and secure when thinking over his deepest thoughts, and he'd needed that now.

Staring out the window, the realization had come upon him suddenly. He was going to have to quit the Task Force. There was no aha moment, no point in his day when the thought built up in his mind to lead him to the conclusion. It was instinctual knowledge.

He thought about what had happened to Misa and the baby. He couldn't put his family in danger like that. Kira worshippers were coming after the task force, unaware that Kira was actually a mole hidden among them all. He couldn't take the risk with his family. He thought about his father in that moment, how he had reacted with the knowledge that hunting Kira would cost him his life, how his wife and daughter had begged him to stop, and how he hadn't yielded. Much as he wanted to stay, to keep tabs on the investigation, he knew it was not wise to do so.

He would have to have a conversation with his father about this in the morning. He knew he was supposed to be L's successor, the second L, but he just couldn't do it under these circumstances. He didn't care about endangering his own life, but Misa and his child were different. They needed to have lives. They needed safety and security and he couldn't give them that if he was still working this case.

With a sigh, he went and climbed into bed next to his bride, but he didn't sleep that night.

He awoke early the next morning, changed into a shirt and khakis, and told Misa he was going out for a little while and would be back later. Then, he went to his childhood home.

It was nearly 5:30 in the morning. His father would be awake by now, getting coffee before heading off to the task force. He still had a key to the house and let himself in. He found his father standing in the kitchen.

"Hey, Dad."

Soichiro Yagami might have started were he not such a disciplined man. Instead, he turned around, calm but pleasantly surprised.

"Light? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with Misa?"

"I needed to talk with you. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

They both sat down at the kitchen table, Soichiro with a steaming mug of black coffee and Light with a small cup of Cinnamon Spice tea.

"Dad, I think I need to quit the Task Force." He said.

Soichiro set down his mug in surprise. "Light…"

"With what happened to Misa and the baby… It's just not safe for them. I don't want to stop working the case but if I do I'll put them both in danger again. I can't do that to them." He said softly, looking down at the floor as though afraid he would disappoint his father.

Soichiro Yagami picked up his mug and took a slow sip of coffee. "I had a similar debate when you were born. And again when Sayu was born."

Light's head shot up in surprise. "You did?"

Soichiro nodded. "I remembered holding each of you and wondering if what I was doing was really worth it. For all the danger I put your mother and you and your sister in because of my profession. I knew I wanted justice, but at the same time, I was starting a family. I didn't think there would be a balance between the two. Do you know what I found?"

"What?"

"Between Justice and Family, there will hardly ever be any equanimity. One will always outbalance the other, and there is no good way to find a balance between them. I made my choice, Justice first, family later. It's what I've always done it seems. For the most part, I don't regret my choice, but I do have regrets about the moments that I missed with you and your sister growing up." He said, and leaned forward to his son a little. "Light, I want you to be free to make your own choices. You're starting your own family now, and only _you_ can decide what's best for your family. You're going to have regrets, and you're going to make mistakes along the way. But that's what fatherhood is, and you must embrace it. Whatever decision you make may not have been the one I would have made, but as long as it's right for you, that's what matters."

Light smiled a little at that. "Thanks, Dad." He took in a breath. "I can't work directly with the task force, but maybe I can do some on the side if you need it. But Dad… I want you to take my place. You can still keep me informed of everything that's going on, and I can help you with the case, but… I have to keep my distance. I can't let Misa or the baby get hurt like that ever again."

"As you wish, Light." Soichiro said, bowing his head slightly to his son.

"Do you want me to come in for one last day today?"

"No, that's quite alright. Go home and be with your wife for the day, and I'll break the news to everyone."

Light smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

He gave his father a brief hug, before he went back to his apartment.


	19. Break

Light got back to the apartment before Misa woke up, which felt good to him. He began making breakfast, getting everything ready so he could bring it to his bride. He gathered everything onto a tray, before he took the tray into their bedroom.

Misa has just woken up when he came in beating a tray of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, nori, and a green salad. When she saw him, she smiled.

"What's all this?" She asked.

"Breakfast in bed for you." He said, setting the tray above her lap so that she could eat.

"Light, that's so sweet, but aren't you going to be late for work?"

"No. I'm not going back. At least, not directly." He said, surprisingly cavalier about the words that came from his mouth.

Upon taking them in, she looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

"After what happened to you and the baby, it's just too dangerous. You and our baby deserve to be safe. I couldn't put you both in danger that way. So I went to my Dad's house this morning and resigned formally. Unofficially I'm still a consultant on the case, but I'm not working there anymore. I'll still be informed of new developments, but right now, after everything that happened, I just couldn't make myself go back."

She set the tray down on the floor beside the bed, nearly falling off at one point, before she moved to pull him to her. "Light, you have to talk about these things with me. I would have stopped you."

"I know you would have, and that's why I didn't tell you. It was too important. I can't put your lives in danger like that again, Misa. If I lost you..."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You're not going to lose me. That will never happen."

"You say that now, but what if you hadn't survived? I never expected that to even be a possibility. And to see you dead on the ground like that... it made me reevaluate everything I thought I knew about myself. It made me wonder if what I thought I wanted was what I really wanted. When I thought about it, it made me realize that you were more important. You _both_ are. I can't lose either of you, Misa. If I did, it would be too big a loss to compute."

She rubbed his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "I know why you did it. I just wish..."

She didn't finish the sentence. "I know. But I can't take that big a risk. I have to keep you safe. Keep our baby safe." He said, putting a hand on her stomach.

She gave him a kiss. "You'll always keep me safe. I know that."

"I try. But the fact that I couldn't when it mattered the most..."

He shuddered. She saw how much that had shaken his confidence. She held him close to her.

"Don't do that, Light."

"Do what?" He asked, looking up at her.

"There wasn't anything you could have done to prevent that. You need to know that. I know it's hard to accept, but it's true."

She could see the tears filling his eyes. "How can it be?"

For a moment he was a small child, frightened and lost. She squeezed him tightly to her.

"You were scared. I get it. I was too. But I'm here know, and so are you, and we'll get through all of this together."

He took in a shaking breath, and felt himself sobbing, the tears oozing down his cheeks. "Misa. I thought I'd lost you. But you're still here. Still loving me and supporting me after all this time."

She held him tightly as though her embrace would be enough to hold him together. "I'll always be here, Light. It's the promise I made to you from the beginning and the one I made in front of everybody we love again yesterday. Whatever happens, I'll be with you through it all."

He clutched her to him suddenly, afraid that letting her go would mean the promise would be broken.

He cried for a long time, as all the events of the last few days crashed over him in a massive tidal wave that swept him into a sea of emotions. His fear, his relief, his anger, his love, all came pouring down his face. Misa realized that it might have been the first time that he ever allowed anybody to comfort him when he cried. The fact that she was the one to do it was an honor not lost on her.

When he pulled himself together, he gave her a quavering smile, and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. The last few days have been hard on you too and I'd much rather have you get it out than keep it inside. You don't have to hide anything from me. I'll love you no matter what. You just have to tell me what's bothering you and we'll fix it together. Okay?" She said, tenderly cupping his face gently.

"Okay." He said softly.

She smiled. "Now, are you going to have breakfast with your wife or am I going to be eating alone?"

He smiled. "I suppose I can't refuse that offer, can I?"

"Nope." She smiled. She climbed back under the covers, and patted the space beside her.

He smiled happily at her, slipped off his shoes and climbed into bed with her, beginning to eat alongside his bride with a new kind of light and knowledge in his eyes. All of this time, he'd felt as though he'd been going at this crusade for justice alone. Then, she'd come and taken his hand in the dark and let him know he wasn't alone. He hadn't believed her, not back then at least, but now he knew better, and the knowledge glowed there like neon, reassuring him constantly.

He wasn't alone anymore, and he never would be again.


	20. Sight

The first few months of her pregnancy were the worst for her. Misa stayed mostly in her bedroom so that she would be close to a toilet. She felt an almost constant need to pee, and morning sickness had ripped through her life like a tornado and had taken all the fight out of her. Fatigue had also set in and had sapped her of most of her energy. Usually after getting sick she would lay down in her bed to take a nap. She always felt better after that but had to be hyper vigilant about what was being cooked at mealtimes. Even the slightest scent or taste of something could set her stomach off and send her running for the bathroom.

The only other symptom of early pregnancy that was really giving her trouble was dizziness and fainting. Most of the time it occurred after a bout of morning sickness, and that made it easier for her. She knew if she stayed close to the ground and didn't move too much at one time that she'd be alright. The other times, however, were out of nowhere. She had been lucky the first time it happened- Light had been right behind her and had caught her as she fainted before she could get hurt.

Today marked the twelfth week of her pregnancy, and she was going to her first Ultrasound. She could feel the excitement growing inside of her as she signed in at the front desk. Although she had brought a book with her in her purse, she couldn't get into it. Light was grinning beside her in a chair, gripping her hand with the strength of a vice. When the nurse finally called her name, she jumped out of her chair in excitement. Light hopped up beside her in perfect synchronicity. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she laid down on the examining table, despite the fact that her bladder was full (which was necessary for the procedure) and in sore need of release. After telling her that the technician would be right in, the nurse disappeared into the hallway, leaving Misa and Light alone with their thoughts.

A dozen emotions passed by her at once as she tried to fully grasp what was happening. She would see her baby for the first time today. It would be one of the most life changing days of her life. Her hand went to her stomach as she thought about the little person growing inside her. It only heightened her excitement. Light kept squeezing her hand, trying to process the enormity of the moment. He realized that this moment was one that would change his life forever. He was breathless with his anticipation. When the doctor finally came in, it was a relief to them both.

She waited with baited breath as the technician had her lift her shirt and put the cold blue gel on her stomach. The transducer moved around, spreading it over her as she watched the screen. She drummed her fingers impatiently on the exam table, resisting the urge to bite her lip. Light squeezed her hand anxiously and tried not to fidget as the nerves sank in. Finally, the technician caught sight of the baby and it made their entire world shift in an instant.

Misa could see the whole baby in one shot. It's head was huge compared to the little bean shaped body, but she could see the nose and mouth clear as day. A tiny leg was raised up and seemingly disconnected from the body. For a moment it frightened her until she saw it move down. And when she thought it couldn't get any better, it did when she heard the steady beating of the baby's heart. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. Light's jaw had dropped at the sight of the tiny baby inside of his wife. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen- including Misa as a blushing bride. The thrumming of the baby's heart rang in his ears, beating and creating a change in him he couldn't name. He'd known intellectually that Misa was pregnant, and had seen the test himself. But to see the proof- to see their baby growing inside of her... It was like a whole new world had opened up to him. He felt himself crying at the sight. He pressed a kiss to Misa's temple and she smiled brightly at him in response.

She asked for a picture of the baby and the technician happily indulged her. He then asked her what the first day of her last period was. When she told him August twelfth, he calculated her due date to be May eighteenth. After confirming that all was well with the fetus, she moved to get the cold goo off of her stomach, thanked the technician, and put the picture inside of her purse before rushing to the bathroom.

The two of them celebrated the occasion with lunch out, before they took the picture to his parents' home. His mother and Sayu were home, and gushed over the picture, saying how much like each of them the baby looked like. They collected their congratulations, before they decided to stop by Task Force headquarters so that Soichiro and the other task

Force members could see the sonogram as well. Soichiro ould see the glowing in Light's face. It was the same one he had had during his wife's pregnancies. He could see fatherhood glowing in Light's eyes, and it brought him the kind of pride he couldn't express with words. Instead he put a hand on his son's shoulder, and gave a nod. The small signal of pride from his typically stoic father meant everything to Light.

He turned to his wife, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a soft and gentle kiss. This was the greatest feeling in the world, and he wouldn't trade this moment for anything.


	21. Preparations

After the first ultrasound was done, Misa threw herself headfirst into designing a nursery for the baby. Light was given the (rather unsavory) task of moving all of the old furniture from the room. That, along with transporting all of the furniture that had been in there to storage, had taken a full weekend. Misa had pulled up different swatches of paint colors for the walls, and had made Light agonize with her about which one to choose. Eventually, they chose a soft buttery yellow, and they spent another full day painting.

Mercifully, after this they had had to take time for the paint to dry, so Light could get some things done. He wrote down fifty names in the Death Note, checked in with the investigation (which was turning up no good leads), and got himself caught up with the household chores that Misa could no longer do due to her condition. The smell of cleaning products always aggravated her nausea. It surprised him that the paint hadn't.

Misa, meanwhile, was growing more emotionally unstable by the day. He never quite knew what mood she would be in, and it was like walking on eggshells. The slightest thing could send her into a rage, or make her burst into tears. It forced him to really be careful with the words he used to speak to her.

He recalled her once getting upset with him for leaving dish in the sink. She started crying and wouldn't stop for three hours, and flat-out refused to talk to him to boot. It wasn't until _he _began to cry (it was mostly acting but slightly real from his intense frustration) that she apologized and things seemed to be on equal footing again. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. He made sure all the dishes were put away every time then. Mostly what tended to set her off was when she felt he was distancing himself from her, and so he made certain to make time for her every day.

Designing the nursery was something Misa took the utmost joy in. She had Light look at dozens of cribs, trying to figure out which one was _exactly right _for their baby. His response of "Shouldn't we wait until we know what gender the baby is to be able to pick everything out?" Was met with a nonplussed glare. He understood that he was there to provide many committal answers and to be supportive of her, because it was the best way to not have to worry about her being upset with him.

Doing the actual furniture shopping was a process that was exhausting for Light. Misa jumped from one crib to the next saying it was perfect, always wanting a committed response from him, and then being upset if he seemed to be talking out of both ends of his mouth. It was a miracle they found the right furniture, but thankfully they did. A crib, changing table, dresser, toy box, bassinet, rocking chair, swing, and stroller were all ordered within a day, and Light felt a huge weight from his chest at the thought, though seeing the price of everything nearly made him pass out.

Putting together all of the furniture took several weekends for Light, and rearranging the furniture to Misa's liking took another weekend. He'd learned that writing names in the death note on Friday was liable to take up to six hours, because he wrote all the names he needed for the weekend then as well. Despite that, it was a happy time. A joyous time.

They'd begun discussing baby names. Light had liked Noritaka or Shunsuke for a boy- it meant respect for the law or Judicious aid, respectively. Misa, on the other hand, had liked Yukio for a boy- because it meant happy or fortunate boy. As for girls, Light had liked Noriko (because it meant "child of the law"), while Misa preferred Heiwa- the Japanese world for Peace. They'd discussed names time and again, and while they did want to find out the gender of the baby, they both decided that they would have to wait until the baby came to see which of the names they should decide on for the baby.

When it came time for the ultrasound that would tell them the gender of the baby, both Light and Misa were anxious. Though neither of them had a preference, they had indulged themselves in fantasies of what life would be like with either a son or a daughter, and each fantasy had brought forth different dreams for each of them.

Misa felt herself shaking with anticipation as the cold gel was placed on her pelvis again, and squeezed Light's hand. Their baby appeared on the screen again, much bigger than before. The sight of the child was almost enough to mesmerize them both. Thankfully, the technician snapped them out of it with one simple question.

"Would you like to know the sex?"

"Yes!"

"Yes."

The both of them said it at the same time, though Light was much calmer about it than his wife. The technician moved the transducer around her pelvis for a moment more, and then spoke.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Yagami. It's a girl." The technician said, smiling.

Light turned to look at Misa, who was beaming with happiness and pride. He leaned down to kiss her, and found himself a little teary. They were going to have a little girl. There would be a tiny version of Misa running around their house. At least, he hoped she would be like her mother. With the same eyes, and the same excitable personality.

"I hope she has your eyes. And your personality." He whispered to her.

"I hope she has your heart." She said to him, wiping her eyes as the joy sunk in. Light had to wipe his own before he leaned down to her and they shared a happy kiss.

Their little girl would be the best of them both. They just couldn't wait to meet her.


	22. Contact

Misa decided that the yellow paint of the nursery just would not do upon hearing that they were having a girl. Light couldn't understand why- after all, they had spent a long time painting it together- but Misa insisted on their daughter having a nice, pink room. So, back to the paint store they went, Misa flipping through paint swatches to find the perfect shade of pink. Light was mildly irritated at having to move the furniture from the room- alright, he was _very _irritated at that, but kept his mouth shut because he knew he didn't want to incur Misa's hormonal wrath.

They painted the room in a shade of soft pink that- Light had to admit- did look nice with the white furniture they had purchased. Moving everything back in after the paint had dried was a pain, but when it was done, he had to admit it did look good.

Against the right wall was the white changing table, it's drawers stocked with pacifiers, bottles, wipes, and powder. Behind it on the same wall was the closet, filled with clothes meant for a baby girl to play in. In the corner was the rocker, waiting for someone to sit in it and read a little girl a story from the bookshelf resting right next to it under the window. White, lacy curtains barely kissed the top of the shelf, as they brought the light of a new day into the nursery. On the next wall was the crib, decorated with princess sheets and one plastic sheet in case a diaper were to leak, and many blankets. Behind it, a small table with a drawer holding crayons had a lamp atop it for light at night. In the middle of the room, atop a pink, plush, flower-shaped rug, was a playpen big enough for their daughter to play in. Misa envisioned her baby girl playing in there happily as she got the housework done. The bassinet would go in her and Light's bedroom, and the stroller rested in the closet. They had bought a high chair, plain and white, but Misa had taken it upon herself to do a bit of painting on it. A small gold crown with pink jewels that read "princess" was painted on the back of the high chair. She was satisfied with her work, and he rather liked it.

Time wore on rather quickly for the both of them. The indicator of it's passing was Misa's growing stomach. It was on an ordinary day when their world changed for the better.

Misa had been laying with her head in Light's lap on the couch, reading a magazine. Light, in turn, had been reading a book and stroking her golden hair. It was just after lunch, and the both of them had decided to indulge in a bit of relaxation for the day. Light had been stroking his beloved's hair, feeling her practically melt into his lap, when suddenly he felt her stiffen. Before he could process what had happened, he heard her gasp and felt her shoot up from his lap, knocking the book from his hand.

"Misa?! What is It? What's wrong?" He asked.

She didn't say anything, and it caused his anxiety to skyrocket. But then, she took his hand and placed it on her stomach.

"I don't understa-" He stopped, suddenly understanding as he felt something.

A tiny kick from inside of her body.

He took in a sharp breath, almost disbelieving what he'd felt. _Was that real?_

He looked up at his wife, who was crying joyfully. "She's moving." Misa whispered. "Our baby girl is moving."

Light kept a hand on her stomach, trying to will the baby to move again just with his mind. He was happy when he felt it again. That tiny kicking sensation. That was what confirmed it for him. This was no dream he was having. This was real.

Light leaned over and kissed his wife with all the tenderness and love that he could muster. He thought about how he'd loved her before when it had been just the two of them. He had been so certain that he could never love her anymore than he already did. This moment proved to him that he was wrong. The love that burst open in his heart like the finale of a fireworks show was massive and intense in its purity. She had always been beautiful, but now she was radiant. He supposed that's what they meant when they talked about pregnant women glowing. Boy were they right.

This was his own personal miracle. He couldn't believe that it had just happened, and to him no less! He was shocked at the idea that someone so small could have such a huge impact on him. But it had happened.

A glowing began in his eyes and spread all throughout his face. He found himself grinning madly, and felt his eyes welling up. This little girl that would be the perfect combination of Misa and himself had finally said hello to them. It was as close to a miracle as he'd ever witnessed in his life, and he felt honored to have had a hand in creating it.

He leaned upward to kiss his wife, before he turned to her stomach. He pressed a kiss to it, before he began to speak.

"Hey there, little princess. Thank you for finally saying hi to us. We're so happy you're on the way. We just can't wait to meet you. We love you so much already." He said softly.

Misa leaned down and gave him a kiss. This was a landmark event, one that would change them forever. That first contact with their little girl. It was a moment she could have savored forever. "No little girl on earth will be as loved as she will." She said with certainty, stroking his cheek as the joy of the moment washed over her like surf.

Light was sure she would be right.


	23. Song

**Author's Note: The song in this chapter is an original and may not be used without my express written consent. Enjoy!**

That night, Misa sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, gently rocking back and forth as she stroked her growing belly. She couldn't stop thinking about her baby. The child of Light and herself was growing stronger every day, despite all they'd already been through. She was already so absolutely in love with the child inside of her that she couldn't fathom her love growing anymore. She knew it would of course, when she held her baby. But in this moment, it was nearly impossible for her to imagine loving this little girl that was growing inside of her any more than she already did.

She hummed to herself, a little tune growing in her head, smiling when the baby seemed to like that as she gave her mother a tiny kick. Idly, Misa wondered what might happen if she sang to her baby.

Of course, not just any song would do. This was a special moment. So, she got up from the rocker, not without a bit of effort, and went to her and Light's bedroom. Light had fallen asleep a little while ago. Quietly, and with great purpose in mind, she went to the small desk in their room and opened the drawer that housed their regular notebooks, and grabbed one and a pen from the cup on top of the desk.

Having found what she needed, she carefully made her way out to the living room. Taking a seat on the couch, she began to think about what this baby meant to her, and all the things she wanted to tell her, before she put pen to paper and began to write.

Songwriting was not normally an arduous process for her. Songs often came at the drop of a hat to her and she'd write them down. However, most of those songs were somewhat nonsensical and lacked a deeper meaning. This song was the first one she would ever sing to her child, and she spent a long time searching for the _perfect _word, the _exact _word to describe this amazing feeling inside of her. It took far longer than she was anticipating. However, when it was done, it was so perfect she couldn't imagine anything better.

Taking the page out of the notebook, she left the writing materials on the coffee table and went to the nursery again, taking a seat in the rocking chair. She'd wanted to share this special moment in the place where her daughter would spend her childhood. Then, quietly, she began to sing.

"The months I've been waiting to meet you pass slow  
All of this time I've been watching you grow  
And I'm so afraid that I won't be enough  
To help you someday when things start to get tough  
But somehow I love you even though you're not here  
And that love is stronger than all of my fears  
I wonder what face and what features you'll have  
Or who you'll take after, me or your dad  
I am so in love with you that will never be gone  
You will always belong.

And I want to make you better than me  
Stop you from making the mistakes I repeat  
I hope I can teach you what you need to know  
And help you understand what feelings to show  
But you don't have to worry about being strong  
You will always belong.

And I don't know your name  
But I know it will be my favorite word.  
I haven't known your voice  
But it will be the best sound I have heard.

And as you get older I hope that you see  
No matter how big you are you're my baby to me  
Though you grow up and you'll someday leave home  
And maybe start a family of your own  
You will always have a place to go when things may go wrong  
You will always belong.

And I don't know your name  
But I know it will be my favorite word.  
I haven't known your voice  
But it will be the best sound I have heard.

I'm finally holding you, to rock you to sleep  
I whisper a promise I always will keep  
That I'll keep you safe and I'll love you always  
Even on my life's most difficult days  
With you in my arms I am finally calm  
You will always belong."

The baby inside of her kicked hard, as if to applaud her mother for the work she'd done. Misa couldn't help a quiet giggle as she patted her stomach. "Glad you liked it."

"I did."

Misa's head shot to the door and she found her husband standing there, hair fluffed from sleep. "Light, what are you doing up?"

"I woke up a little while ago and you weren't in bed. I was wondering where you went and what you were up to, but now I see. That song was really beautiful, Misa."

Misa smiled. "Thank you. I think the baby liked it."

He went over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "And why wouldn't she? Her mother is quite the talent. Makes me think about writing something for the baby too."

"Oh, Light! That would be amazing! I bet the baby would love that!" She said, grinning.

He chuckled softly. "You think?"

"Of course! What Daddy's girl wouldn't want such a special gift from her father?"

"Daddy's girl, huh?"

"You'll see. Every little girl has her Daddy wrapped around her finger. At least, that's been my experience." She smiled, glowing. "She'll steal your heart away and you'll never be the same."

"Just like her mother." He smiled.

They shared a kiss, and Light yawned shortly after.

"I'm going back to bed. Are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute." Misa promised.

Light nodded, and went back to their bedroom.

Misa took a moment to let quiet settle in around her before she rubbed her stomach gently.

"What I said is true, little one. You will always belong with us. I promise."

With that, she got up from the rocking chair, and followed her husband to bed.


	24. Shower

Misa's eighth month of pregnancy was fast approaching, and her own excitement and Light's were climbing by the day. The day of both of them meeting their daughter was getting closer by the day, and it was an exciting time in their lives. Unbeknownst to them, the day was about to get even more exciting.

It started out like any other morning. Light made his wife breakfast, and checked in with his father about the investigation. No new leads had turned up, which was a relief to them both. Light had feared- not unjustly- that the preparations for the baby might have been throwing him off of his game. Mercifully, that was not the case. Somehow, his double life as Kira was still going strong. The difference today, however, was that Chief Yagami asked his daughter-in-law and his son over to his home that afternoon. He wouldn't be home, but Sachiko and Sayu had wanted to see them- or so he said. Upon asking Misa if she felt well enough to go out, she nodded happily, and that was that.

They headed out just before lunch, intending for this to be a short visit, and were surprised when Sayu opened the door and dragged them both inside. Upon entering the living room, they found Sachiko, Sayu, Nori, and several of Misa's other friends all there.

"Surprise!" They all shouted.

Misa felt her eyes welling up with tears as she looked around. The room was decorated in pink for a baby shower- her baby shower. She hugged her sister and mother-in-law, and was passed around to every set of arms in the room. The exclamations from everyone were the same.

"You look great!"

"You're glowing!"

"I've never seen you look so happy!"

Light stood in the doorway, smiling. It made him happy to see his bride so happy. He went over to his mother.

"I'm guessing you had this planned for a while?"

"Myself and your sister were preparing for this from the time you announced the baby was a girl." Sachiko smiled.

Light chuckled softly. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know your sister loves a good party and how much I enjoy planning them."

"That's True." Light smiled.

He watched Misa light up as she spoke with Nori and a few of her other friends. She was always the brightest one in the room. That never changed. Smiling, he looked back at his mother.

"Do you need me to do anything? Would you rather I leave?"

"Of course not. You're welcome to stay. This party is as much a celebration for you as it is Misa. And you don't have to worry about anything, your sister and I have it all taken care of. You just relax and be with your wife, alright?"

Light smiled and gave his mother a small hug. "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome."

The party began with lunch. True to theme, all the foods served had the word "baby" in front of them. Baby carrots, a salad of baby lettuce and baby spinach, baby back ribs, and more. Misa couldn't get enough of the ribs, and Light couldn't help smiling at the sight. When they all finished eating, it was time for games. They had a "make your own baby food" contest that made some truly shocking flavor combinations, and a few that were very good. Nori won that one with a combination of berries and mango. Misa teased her lightly about her job preparing her for that, to which Nori let out a chuckle. It was true. Next, they timed who could change the diaper on a baby doll the fastest, and to everyone's surprise Light actually took the round for that one. It surprised everyone but him. He'd volunteered to change Sayu a few times while she had been a baby and had hated the smell, so he'd learned to change a diaper quickly and effectively. Misa was happy with that. After that they'd gotten streamers and cut them, trying to see who could wrap it the closest around Misa's belly. It was Sachiko who won that one, only an inch off.

After that, it was time for cake and gifts. A cake chock full of strawberries, Misa's favorite, had been ordered for the occasion. Decorated in Pink frosting with white piping, it read "Welcome baby", and looked wonderful. Miss leaned into Light happily as she ate. She was so glad he was there. Finally, it was time for the gifts. The gifts cluttered the coffee table in brightly wrapped packaging, and she couldn't wait to open them. Much of what she received were packages of diapers, of course, but there were also clothes, toys, and even a bouncer for the baby. Misa let out squeals at some of the clothes and how adorable they were, and some of the toys too. The gift that meant the most to her, however, was a handmade pink blanket from her mother-in-law. She was certain the baby would sleep with it every night, and gave Sachiko a big hug in appreciation of the thoughtfulness of the gift.

When all was said and done, it was nearly dinner time. Many of Misa's friends said their goodbyes, before leaving. Nori too, eventually headed home, leaving Light and Misa with their family.

"Do you need any help cleaning up, Mom?" Light had asked.

"No, thank you dear. Why don't you and Misa head on home. I'm certain she must be tired by now."

One look at Misa said that that was definitely the case. Light smiled. "Sounds like a good idea." He hugged his mother and sister tightly. "Thank you both for doing all this. You made it a day to remember."

"Our pleasure!" Sayu chirped.

Misa hugged them both. "You made today so incredibly special for me and the baby. Thank you so much. This was a fantastic surprise."

"You're welcome, dear." Sachiko said softly, smiling.

With a few last murmured goodbyes, Misa and Light headed home smiling for the night.


	25. Birth

A few more weeks went by all too slowly. Every day Misa's stomach grew a little bigger and her clothes got a little tighter. She was in maternity clothes full time, even in sleep. Other than prenatal checkups, Misa didn't do much other than lay around the house. But she wasn't worried. She would need all the rest she could get when the baby finally came.

It started out as an average day.

Light would always wake up first, at five fifteen exactly every morning. He would drag himself out of bed and get into the bathroom. He would use the restroom, shower for ten minutes, then shave. He would get dressed, put on cologne, then go to kiss his wife. Every morning she would wake up to the feel of his lips, the sound of his voice, and the scent of his favorite cologne. They would always go downstairs and have breakfast together on the back patio. After that Light would head off to work in the Death Note or check in at Task Force Headquarters by six, and Misa would pull out her list of things to do that day. After that, Misa had the day to spend as she pleased. She often spent her time reading, shopping online, and thinking up new strategies to help her husband avoid the police. Her husband would be done by six thirty at the latest. The two of them would eat dinner together, then spend time together in the living room. After that there was a few hours of free time before they would retire to their bedroom for the night. They would always get to bed at eleven to do it all over again the next day.

But that night, Misa started getting cramps.

At first she was terrified that she was going to start hemorrhaging like she had read happened to other women before, but as quickly as the cramp was there it was gone. She tried to get some sleep, but just as she was hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness, she was hit with another cramp, along with a strange gushing feeling. She almost screamed out of fear, but she went over and turned the light on calmly, and looked down at the bed where she'd been laying.

It wasn't blood. It was water.

She sucked in a breath. Oh _shit_.

She leapt onto the bed and shook her husband's shoulder harshly.

"Light! Light, wake up!"

"Wha? What is it, what's wrong?" He asked, shooting up from the bed.

"Light, my water broke."

It took his sleep addled mind a minute to comprehend what she was saying, but when he did, his eye widened and he bolted out the bedroom door. He got dressed and pulled on a coat, grabbing his cell phone to call for an ambulance before running back to his wife, who was getting dressed. He got their hospital bag from the floor before ushering Misa onto the sidewalk outside their apartment. The ambulance sirens came blaring up the street before parking outside the complex. The two expecting parents hopped in, shut the door and were sped off to the hospital.

Light had his wife lay down on the gurney as EMT's tended to her while he sat down by her side. He held her hand gently, pressed gentle kisses to her forehead, and tried to keep himself as calm as he possibly could, even though every second that went by was tearing at his soul. When the hospital was finally in sight, the tightness of the anxiety that pressed at his chest lessened slightly. He pulled himself together at the sight as much as he could and ran beside her as the EMT's wheeled her to the maternity ward.

For those first few hours after the pain began, Misa stayed fairly calm. She thanked her husband when he pressed a cool rag to her forehead and appreciated his words of encouragement when he told her how amazingly brave she was. She even apologized when she squeezed his hand a little too tight and made him wince. But as time wore on, her patience and optimism were being stretched to their limits. When the sixth hour hit, she began to lose her positivity and excitement over what was happening. The reprieves between the pain were becoming shorter and shorter, and as the time between pains shortened, so did her temper. As much as she loved her husband, he was beginning to get on her nerves. It didn't matter if he said something or if he stayed quiet, he was driving her mad.

By the time twelve hours had gone by, she was a cast iron bitch.

She had begged and pleaded for an epidural to numb her pain, but the Doctor told her it was too late for that now.

Seventeen grueling hours of enduring the pain had gone by, and she was enraged by the pain that seemed to overwhelm her with every contraction. Light was talking to her, trying to be encouraging, but it wasn't working.

"Breathe, baby. You heard the doctor. It won't be much longer."

She was wretching inside her bed, shrieking as the pain tore her apart from the inside out.

Finally, the doctor checked her cervix and declared that it was time for her to push.

The pain was inhuman, and almost intolerable. She'd thought the contractions were bad, but this... This was hell on earth. It seemed like it would never end. But, with one final push, her torment ended, and a cry pierced her ears.

"Congratulations Mrs. Yagami, it's a girl."

Her vision was blurred, but she reached up for the baby being held up by the doctor.

"Please, can I hold her?" She asked. The nurses exchanged worried glances, but nodded.

"Just for a minute."

A little pink bundle was placed in her arms, and suddenly everything in her world stopped.

Her little eyes were closed, but she had the most perfect little lips and button nose that Misa had ever seen. A shock of blonde hair lay atop her head, and she seemed to fit in Misa's arms as though they were made to hold her. The love that burst open inside of her was indescribable.

"She's perfect."

"Dad, would you like to cut the cord?" Asked the doctor. He did, before Misa handed her to him to hold.

The second his eyes landed on her face, he fell in love with her. Instantaneously. Irrevocably. She was the most perfect being he had ever seen. He felt a tear run down his face.

"Oh Misa... Thank you."

But before he could do anything more, the tiny baby was taken from his arms and into the NICU for observation.


	26. New

After seventeen long hours of labor, Misa was glad to finally get some well-earned rest. Light fell asleep in the chair beside her, just as tired from his own worry and exhaustion. There was a deep sense of accomplishment that gripped him now. They had done it. They had brought new life into the world and any worry they had had about what might happen to the baby was annihilated. It was the most peaceful and deep rest either of them had had in a long time. Their endless period of waiting was finally over, and it had all been well worth it.

When Misa woke up, it was twelve hours later. She looked over to see Light asleep in the chair beside her. She tried to go back to sleep, but it was a fruitless endeavor. The excitement, the joy, the worry, were all too powerful to allow her the luxury of sleeping more. She glanced around the room, noticing bouquets of flowers that hadn't been there before she went to sleep. She grabbed the small card from the end table and glanced at it.

Congratulations on your little miracle- Nori

Misa smiled at that. Her friend must have heard she was here and made sure to send something. It was so thoughtful, and it made her smile.

However, there wasn't much else to do after that. The ticking of the clock droned on endlessly, and it gave her too much room for idle thought. She wondered about how her life would be different now, and what it would be like going home. It seemed that life couldn't possibly be the same now, not with this baby coming home with them. Much as she wanted to sleep, her mind wouldn't shut itself off.

So she stared at the ceiling, wondering about her child until her husband awoke.

He woke about an hour after she had.

"Misa, how long have you been up?" He asked wearily.

"An hour or so."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because you needed the sleep, Light. You were just as exhausted by the labor as any of those doctors. You needed some rest."

Light glanced toward the door.

"Any word yet on the baby?"

She shook her head no. "What if she dies?" It was her worst fear. He took both her hands and clasped them in his own.

"Don't think like that. She's going to be okay."

"But what if-" Light put a finger to her lips to stop her.

"When you do that you're only hurting yourself. Have a little faith."

"Faith isn't exactly my strong point." She murmured.

"Well it's about to get a good work out." He said, sadly.

"That's an understatement." Her cynical tone surprised him.

For a long time they sat there together, hoping and praying that their baby would be okay. Misa didn't know what else to do. This was her baby. The first child she had ever loved that had grown inside of her. If she was gone, she didn't know what she'd do. When a doctor finally arrived, she felt her throat constrict. She wanted to speak, but no sound would come out.

"Mr. And Mrs. Yagami?" He asked with a thick accent. They nodded.

"She'll have to stay in the NICU for a few days, but you'll be able to take her home. She should be fine."

The second he said those words, Misa felt such tremendous relief that she nearly fell over. Light kept her steady and smiled.

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor nodded. "Anytime."

When the doctor departed, they looked at one another.

"You know, we never decided on a name." Misa said.

"I know. I know we said that we'd see what the baby was like when she came, and now we have. I think the name you picked out for her suits her well."

"Heiwa?"

"She brought me a lot of peace just holding her. I think it suits her well."

Misa gave him a small smile. "Heiwa Aimi Yagami. I think it fits her."

"Me too." He smiled back. They shared a small kiss.

Light let Misa lay down as he called his family to let them know it was okay to come. A little over an hour later, the Yagami family came pouring into the room, all smiles. Light led them to the NICU so that they could see the baby, if only from behind the glass window. When he pointed her out he was surprised at how much he could already tell her apart from the other babies wrapped in pink blankets. His mother and sister both crooned their praises of his daughter, and it made his chest puff up with pride.

"She's so cute!" Sayu squealed, clapping her hands. "I have the most adorable niece ever!"

"She's beautiful, Light." Sachiko said softly, wiping a tear from her eye.

Soichiro Yagami turned from his granddaughter to his son. There were a dozen emotions in his usually stern eyes, but the one that reflected back the most was pride. He lay a hand on his son's shoulder. He could see it there in his son's eyes. His son's own emergence into fatherhood was complete. He could already see the love in his son's eyes growing there for his child. It was a reflection of his own eyes, from so long ago.

"You've done well, Light." Soichiro said quietly.

Light's eyes glimmered with pride and his own joy. "Thanks, Dad."

"You have honored the Yagami name."

"Speaking of-" Sayu interrupted, "What is her name?"

Light smiled. "Heiwa. Heiwa Aimi Yagami."

"That's a beautiful name." Sachiko smiled.

Light smiled. "We thought so."

The four of them went back to Misa's room, gushing about the baby. Misa was more than happy to hear that they already loved her daughter. She felt the same way. They all talked for a solid hour before Lunch was served and they thought it respectful to give Misa her privacy. Hugs were exchanged, before Misa and Light were alone in her room once more.


	27. Home

Misa and Heiwa were released from the hospital three days later. It was strange to think they were going home now, carrying a new life into their apartment. However, it felt so right that neither of them questioned it.

When they arrived at their humble abode, they found the fridge stocked with food. Light had given his mother a key to his apartment a few days before Heiwa had been born, and had found much to his surprise and delight that she had made them enough food to last quite a while. He smiled at that, and made a mental note to thank her for her help later on.

Entering the nursery with their daughter was a landmark event. All their preparations in the last few months was suddenly worth it. Up until that moment, the preparations they'd been making hadn't seemed real. But now, it all seemed to click into place. Light suddenly understood why Misa had insisted on repainting their daughter's room. It seemed to fit so much better now.

Misa had gone to change her Daughter, falling in love with her more and more by the second. Though she was only a few days old, her personality was already shining through, attracting everyone by it, especially her parents. Though Misa hadn't had much experience with babies in her life, some obscure instinct told her that her daughter was a perfectly placid baby compared to others. She was so ebullient that Misa had no doubt that Heiwa was a girl after her own heart. A thousand futures for her daughter spun before her eyes, and she could see every one with clarity. Princess dresses, tea parties, afternoons doing homework, sending her off to college, seeing her in a gorgeous white wedding gown. All of it, she saw in the space of a heartbeat.

When she was changed, Misa took her to the rocking chair and began to feed her. Light, in the meantime, went to prepare lunch for them both. Thanks to his mother, it wasn't a difficult task as one might have anticipated. He brought his food and Misa's into the nursery, sitting on the carpet next to her. He fed her bites of her food in between giving himself some. Slowly, all of them were fed.

Heiwa fell asleep rather quickly after that, and he and Misa laid her in the bassinet in their bedroom before they too laid down to try and rest.

The day continued in a cycle of changes, feedings, and sleeping for Heiwa, until night fell and Misa was more than due for some sleep.

They'd spoken several times about what would happen during the night with their daughter. Light had agreed to take the night shift so that Misa could get some well-deserved rest. Misa had tried to protest several times, but when he had turned it into an order, she hadn't tried to refute him again.

Night time provided a comfortable cloak for Light to be able to just be with his daughter. When she let out her first cry, he whisked her away to the nursery, gave her a change, and fed her. As he did so, he sang quietly to her.

"No matter what you do

God is watching over you

He'll keep you safe from harm

Inside his loving arms

The promises we make

Are ones we have to keep

Be good, uphold the truth

And you will never weep

It is a world of kindness

A world of love and peace

Where we got rid of violence

And the crime in the streets

So hush now dry your eyes

There's no more need for tears

You can rest easy, my love

Because your Daddy's here."

The lullaby of his own creation was made so long ago, when Misa had first written hers. He'd wanted to sing to his child not only about the glory that was Kira, but also make sure his child knew how much he loved them. Now, with the moment itself realized, he found that his mind hadn't done this moment justice. It was more beautiful than anything he could have pictured.

He turned to Ryuk, who had been hovering nearby all day, watching this first day among their new little family. His daughter was now drowsy, he could sense it. Not quite asleep yet. Looking at Ryuk, then down at her, he was quiet when he spoke, but the fervor with which he spoke could not be denied.

"Thank you, Ryuk." He said softly.

Ryuk perked up at the sound of his name. "Me? Why?"

He looked straight at the Shinigami who had been with him for years on end. They'd been through everything together. Investigations, a wedding, and now he'd witnessed the human he had been bound to bear a child.

"If you hadn't dropped the death note, I wouldn't have all of this."

Ryuk did not attempt to mask his surprise. Never in his existence had he met a human so grateful for the death note. Now, counting Misa, he'd met two.

"You're welcome." He said, not sure what else to say.

"I have a question for you."

"What?"

"You were the one who brought Misa and I together, and if it weren't for you, Heiwa wouldn't be here. There's a custom in the human world when it comes to babies. The parents choose two people who they want to help guide their child through life. They're called godparents. We wanted to ask if you would be her godfather."

Ryuk blinked. "Why me?"

"Because someday, when you write my name in your death note, the one I have will go to her. She will take on the legacy of Kira when I'm gone, and I want her to know from the start that she can trust you. I'm very aware that you won't help me, but I want her to know that you are somebody she can talk to and trust. So, what do you say? Will you be her Godfather?"

Ryuk was silent for a moment, taking in the words, before he finally spoke. "I think it will be very interesting."


	28. Adjusting

Time seemed to pass in a blur for the new little family, as days with a newborn often did. Both Light and Misa were thrust into the world of parenthood whether they were ready for it or not. In their case, it was more on the side of not. They'd read the books, they'd taken classes, and they'd gotten advice from many people, but nothing could ever truly prepare them for the challenges they were going to face.

Despite Heiwa being a rather placid baby, she still managed to throw her parents quite a few curveballs. Ear infections followed one another like cars on a train, leaving her inconsolable for hours on end. A bout of colic did not help to remedy this, and oftentimes both Light and Misa wondered how on earth their daughter hadn't lost her voice from all the screaming she did. The lack of sleep for both of them was beginning to wear them down, and more often than not they found themselves not eating properly in an attempt to comfort their daughter.

The first few weeks of parenthood were often a cold riptide that sucked both Misa and Light under. Lack of sleep pounded in both of their heads and scrambled their thoughts as they tried desperately to stick to a schedule with their daughter. It was particularly difficult when she cried almost nonstop. When Misa went out shopping to get more supplies for Heiwa and saw a friend, they always asked how she was enjoying motherhood. She'd smile every time, and give the same response: It was the best thing that had ever happened to her. It was even true. But the little voice in the back of her head always laughed at her for saying it when she knew sometimes it wasn't. Her beautiful little girl was more than a handful, and she'd lost count of all the times she'd sat in the rocking chair in her daughter's nursery, quietly crying because she felt so overwhelmed.

Despite all of both of their struggling, however, they both fell more in love with their daughter with every passing minute. The day after she'd been brought home, Misa had found herself unable to picture life without her. It was incredible how absolutely _vital _this little person had become after only being in their lives for a few short days. For every sleepless night she gave her parents, for all the struggles they faced on her behalf, there was always a greater reward when the crying ceased and they had moments of peace to enjoy the little angel that had come into their lives.

Light often found himself feeling like a ship without a rudder in those first weeks. He was being pulled in a hundred different directions, trying to juggle his daughter's needs, his wife's needs, and his own needs, all while trying to keep Ryuk from talking about the apples he forgot to buy at the market. He'd never felt such a lack of control in his life since obtaining the death note, and it was more than a little frightening. His thoughts tangled up in one another like cords in an electronics facility, until he couldn't think straight at all. In fact, he'd had to ask Ryuk to read him the names on the computer of criminals because he couldn't see straight enough to do so on his own. Ryuk, amused, had complied.

This abrupt change had not gone unnoticed by those at Task Force headquarters. Kira seemed to be killing less, and they all wondered what might have happened to cause such a change. All of them spat out theories ranging from Kira's powers weakening to Kira getting ready to stop to Kira being on vacation somewhere. None of these theories were provable, but the break in pattern interested them all. They would have never guessed that Kira was actually a struggling new father who was trying to survive on little sleep and even less food.

As time went on, things improved greatly. By her sixth month of life, Heiwa's ear infections had gone down dramatically, she was beginning to grow out of her bout of colic, and she'd begun sleeping through the night after her parents spent three nights letting her cry it out so that she learned when sleeping hours were. Misa and Light had managed to find their way in the world of parenting, nailing down routines and schedules once they'd gotten some decent sleep and eaten properly again. Without an endless cycle of sleepless nights weighing them down, they had time to truly appreciate the little miracle that they had been given and enjoy every moment with her.

Ryuk had bore witness to every moment of their trials and struggles, and found it fascinating. How they didn't collapse from lack of sleep or lack of food was astounding- and how he himself didn't pass out from the smell of both of them when they forgot to shower or couldn't find the time to do so was even more amazing. Truly, however, he found himself interested in the baby.

Such a tiny little thing and already spreading so much chaos through two lives. It was rather impressive, as these things went. He often spent his time watching over the little girl as much as Light and Misa did, and despite himself, found that he was growing attached to her. He recalled a conversation with Rem from so many years ago, having asked her what it felt like to fall in love with a human the way she had with Misa. Rem had told him that it felt like a change in how you saw the world. Suddenly it wasn't the death note or following the rules that mattered, it was that one person that did. They became the center of the universe, the point at which all events swirled. Despite himself, Ryuk found that he felt that way about Heiwa. He would never let her parents know that, of course, but often times when they were asleep, he found himself gravitating toward the nursery, watching over the little girl.

One little girl had flipped all of their lives upside down, but they wouldn't have traded it for anything.


	29. Birthday

The first year of Heiwa's life seemed to pass with extraordinary speed to those around her. At ten months old, she spoke her first words, and both Light and Misa were there to see it.

Light had sat on the floor with her as she played with one of her favorite stuffed animals, smiling happily at her. Misa had been on the couch, a magazine in her lap as she flipped through the pictures, trying to get to the articles inside. Light had been tickling her for a moment, just to hear her squeal, before stopping. She'd looked at him, and said her first words.

"Dada!" Came the happy squeal.

Misa had stopped flipping the pages. Light had frozen on the floor.

Then, the biggest smile graced his face as he pulled her into his arms and gave her a huge kiss, making her squeal again. He turned to his wife, who looked like she was about to cry with happiness. She'd joined her husband on the floor next to their daughter, and shared a kiss with him, before they both kissed her cheeks.

In the same month, Heiwa touched the death note for the first time. She'd been sitting in Light's lap as he wrote in the death note, when her tiny hand brushed one of the pages. In the same instant, Ryuk was visible to her. He'd been standing beside the desk Light was working at, when he noticed that the little girl seemed to be staring at him. Curiously, Ryuk cocked his head to one side, wondering if she could see him. She mimicked him.

"Light." He said.

"What is it, Ryuk?" He'd answered, not looking up from the death note.

"She can see me."

Light's pen halted in it's continuous flow of writing and he set it down, looking at his daughter.

The way she was staring made no mistake about it. She could see Ryuk, alright. But he wondered why she didn't cry.

Ryuk squatted down to her eye level. "Hi there."

To his surprise and delight, she giggled and clapped her hands, reaching out to him.

Ryuk looked to Light. "Can I…?"

"Well, she isn't scared of you. Go ahead."

Ryuk gently picked the baby up off of Light's lap, and held her for the first time. She seemed fascinated by him, touching his face and his outfit in amazement. It was the first time he'd gotten to see her up close in such a personal way, and it was an incredible feeling. He had never before deigned to consider the concept of how much he could love somebody- anybody- but found that he did love this tiny child. To his surprise and delight, she seemed to reciprocate his feelings. He was certain it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Her first birthday party came up far too quickly for both of her parents' liking. The guest list was rather small, just Light's family, Nori, and of course Ryuk, but it was a joyous affair nonetheless. Chief Yagami had taken the day away from the Task Force to celebrate the festivities, and had gotten the chance to be with his family- a rare treat. Sachiko and Sayu both gushed at Heiwa, who seemed always happy to see them, before she stretched her tiny arms eagerly to her grandfather, who was a much rarer sight to see. Chief Yagami smiled and took the little girl in his arms, bouncing her the slightest bit the way he had done with Light and Sayu at her age. She seemed quite comfortable around him, easily dozing off to sleep in his arms, which made everybody there smile.

When she woke up shortly after, they decided it was time for cake and presents. Her parents unwrapped each gift for her, and she loved every one. A see-and-say from her grandparents, a new stuffed animal from Sayu, multiple gifts from her parents, and a walk and talk toy from Nori that she promised would help develop her motor skills.

After the gifts were unwrapped, Heiwa was lifted into her high chair as a little smash cake was set on her tray. Flashing lights were going off as cameras memorialized the occasion forever, before everybody began to sing. The smash cake had pink and white frosting, with a vanilla cake. It would be her first time trying cake in her life. She didn't wait until the song was over to begin digging her hands into the small cake, shoving some of the cake into her mouth. The look on her face when she tasted it for the first time was one of awe and wonder, one that everybody got a chuckle out of. Then, she shoveled it in, getting cake all over her face, arms, and legs. Misa found herself thankful that she hadn't changed her daughter into her party dress yet, as she picked her up to go clean her off.

When Heiwa was clean and changed into her dress, they all sat around the dining room table and had cake themselves. They talked and laughed, though someone would occasionally take notice of the fact that Heiwa would occasionally stare at seemingly nothing. Little did they know, Ryuk was there, making silly faces at her to hear her laugh. Light gave a very discreet approving nod to the Shinigami, glad that Ryuk made her so happy.

When it was time for her nap, it was also time for the guests to depart. They hugged and kissed the baby, and thanked Light and Misa for their hospitality, before they left. When it was just their family again, they breathed a little easier. Light cleaned up the kitchen and living room as Misa prepared their little girl for her nap. She got her clothes and diaper changed, and nursed her, before it was time to put her down. Light had finished by then anyways.

Misa laid her daughter down in her crib, giving her a gentle kiss. Light did the same.

"Goodnight Princess." He said softly.

"Happy birthday." Misa added.

Heiwa let out a small yawn, and her little eyelids fluttered closed, as her parents watched over her.


	30. Finale

The following spring came with no new leads on the Kira case, and the Japanese Task Force found themselves growing weary. Many of them- Matsuda, Aizawa, and even Chief Yagami at one point or another- had contemplated disbanding the task force, returning to their usual jobs, but working the case in their spare time. The lack of consistent leadership as well as leads to follow was making their work increasingly difficult, as most supposed leads got them to dead ends.

Light, still having an in with the task force through his father, was secretly delighted at the news. Less people hunting Kira would always be a good thing. Outwardly, he maintained an understanding façade, but inwardly, he cheered.

Over a period of a month, the Task Force made the group decision to officially disband but unofficially meet on the weekends to work on the case in their spare time. Chief Yagami resumed his post as head of the NPA, and everyone came back to work under him. On the weekends, they still met at the headquarters L made for them to attempt to work the Kira case and go over any new leads.

Light, meanwhile, was doing fantastically. His daughter was happy and healthy, his wife was gorgeous as ever, and Kira was still raining justice upon the world. He often times wondered what he had done to deserve such a blessed life. A good answer was never given to him, but that was alright. He enjoyed it anyway.

Misa was thriving in her role as a mother. Taking care of her daughter was one of the most fulfilling things she had ever done, and she was so grateful for every moment she spent with her family. Her husband was happy, her daughter was healthy, and she couldn't have been more pleased. Occasionally she still helped her husband write names in the death note, but more often than not she devoted herself to her family.

Ryuk had appointed himself guardian and protector over Heiwa Yagami. By the time she turned two, she played with him constantly at home. For appearances sake, Light and Misa told her that he was an imaginary friend, vowing to tell her the truth when she was old enough to keep their secret. Ryuk went along with it, if only to stay close to her. By her fourth birthday, Ryuk had lovingly been dubbed "Uncle Ry-Ry" by the child, and he took an undisguised pleasure in that fact.

Heiwa herself was growing up quickly. Years seemed to fly by the way pages of a book did. She had loving parents, a fun uncle, and her ebullient personality attracted scores of friends. By the time she entered school, she had been well-instructed in the ways of Kira. She did not yet know the reason why her parents supported Kira. Misa had told Light that she didn't want to tell Heiwa about her parents until she was at least ten so that she wouldn't be scarred by it as Misa herself had been. A few days after her tenth birthday, Misa explained to her daughter what had happened to her parents, and how Kira had passed judgement on their murderer. This new understanding shed some light on why her parents felt the way they did about Kira.

It wasn't until she was fourteen that she finally got the whole truth.

Both of her parents had sat her down on the couch, each one holding one of her hands.

"Heiwa, your father and I have something to tell you." Said Misa.

"What is it?"

Light pulled out the Death Note from behind his back. "When you were a little girl, we told you Uncle Ryuk was an imaginary friend, but that wasn't exactly true. He's a shinigami."

"Shinigami? Like Gods of death?"

Light nodded. "He came to this world because I picked up this notebook and began writing names in it. And on the day he did, I became Kira."

Heiwa's eyes widened. "Daddy… You're…?"

Light nodded. "Your mother also has a Death Note. She found me because she has Shinigami Eyes, that can see a person's name and lifespan. It's how we met. I promised her that she would be the goddess of the new world, and she is. And you… You're our princess. And someday, when Uncle Ryuk writes my name in his death note, this Death Note will be passed on to you, so that you can continue our work. Someday, you will take on Kira's title, and afterward you will pass it on to your children."

"But wait… Grandpa… Isn't he hunting you?"

"Not as actively as he used to. I used to work with him to try and "catch" Kira. The task force created for Kira only meets on the weekends. I've gone to a few of their meetings over the years. They don't have anything on me."

"So you want _me _to take over as Kira?"

"Yes, princess. No one in the world will be more capable at it than you, nor more well protected. Uncle Ryuk will never let anyone hurt you, nor will we. As long as we're alive, you won't have to take on the mantle. But when our time comes, it will be your duty to pick up where we left off. Uncle Ryuk will stay by your side through it all, though. You won't ever be doing it alone. Maybe he'll even help you- which would be a miracle considering he never helped me." Light smirked at Ryuk.

"Hey! What about that time when I told you you were being followed."

"Alright, so you helped me once. Still, my point remains. Someday, this kingdom will be yours." He said, and handed his daughter the Death Note.

Heiwa held it in her hands, stroking the smooth black notebook cover, before flipping through it. Thousands of names were there, all victims of Kira's righteous judgement. Someday, she would be penning names in this notebook, just as her parents had. Setting it in her lap, she looked at them both determinedly.

"I won't let you down."

They both hugged her.

"You never do." Misa said gently.

"You never could." Light added.

The three of them held one another that way for a long time. It was the beginning of their family dynasty, and a kingdom not meant to end.


End file.
